Diamond and Pearl
by The biggest ikarishipping Fan
Summary: AU. Part 2. She is the diamond that broke; he is the pearl that longs to be someone else. They were platinum, but they couldn't take the heat. Both were hurt and betrayed, but perhaps a second chance in Twinleaf can set things right. Ikarishipping!
1. Diamond and Pearl

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **She's the diamond: the beautiful jewel of the school. He's the pearl: his school status is built around his fan girls. Together as a couple they are platinum: malleable, ductile and maybe over time, highly resistant to the heat around them. Ikarishipping!

_**PART ONE**_—**_Diamond and Pearl_**

**Chapter One**

Most kids, especially teenagers, hate moving to new schools, but for Paul Shinji he was use to moving to new towns, new schools and making new friends. Really, he didn't even have to do anything to make new friends either. He was just that kind of guy; the guy who makes friends easily even when having a bad-ass attitude. The biggest reason was for his looks and training skills which most girls fell for, easily giving him a heartthrob status, thus making him popular around girls and popular around the guys who wanted the girls' attention.

"Are you ready to go?" Reggie, who was Paul's older brother, called as he waited beside their blue-green van.

Paul grunted in response, tossing the strap of his gray bag over his head as he climbed into his brother's car.

Reggie and Paul were use to moving by now thanks to their father's job in which he was head of a popular business called "Galactic" where they would study ancient ruins and other ancient stuff in order to find the Legendary Trio that consisted of Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie along with the dragon pokemon of space and time, Dialga and Palkia. Their father, Cyrus, was even considering looking for Giratina, a third dragon pokemon found only in Sinnoh. Of course, Reggie and Paul had no clue why they were looking for these pokemon. Because their dad is head of the company he was often on the road which meant they were always moving.

As the car came to a stop in front of a two-story stoned building with "Platinum High School" written in red on a billboard in front of the school, Paul climbed out of the car, slamming the van's door on the way. Laughter filled Paul's ears as he stepped outside, along with screams and pieces of chit-chat which he managed to pickup as he made his way to the school's office.

After five minutes of searching for the school's office he began to get frustrated, silently cursing the school for being so big.

"Do you need help with something?"

The plum-haired man turned around, slightly shocked to see a blunette standing behind him. The thing Paul immediately noticed about the girl was on each of her wrists were expensive looking bracelets that looked as if they were made from real diamonds, along with a D-shaped necklace tat popped against the black t-shirt she wore. On her fingers she also wore many diamond and pearl rings.

Flashy, Paul found himself thinking. She's probably the drama queen type.

Paul turned to glare at the girl, replying in an icy voice, "No, I can find what I'm looking for by myself."

The girl's eyebrows furrowed together, appearing shocked by his icy attitude towards her,. She crossed her arms in front of her and replied with a huffed, "Well, fine then Mr. _Rude_, but if you're looking for the office you just go straight and turn at the next corner." With that said she turned on her heel, stomping away angrily.

"Stupid jerk! Who does he think he is?!" Paul could hear her grumbles from afar.

Paul rolled his eyes, a scowl plastered on his face.

"Drama queen," Paul muttered. Paul began walking straight before turning the corner, relieved to find the girl's directions were right.

The office lady smiled as he walked in, saying casually, "Mr. Paul Shinji, right?"

He nodded, gratefully taking his class's schedule from the green haired office attendance along with a map of the high school.

"Miss Waterflower," Paul mumbled as he found his homeroom teacher's name. "G32..."

He checked the map, finding that his homeroom teacher was way up on the map, meaning he had a long walk to go before he reached G32. He groaned silently in his head, hating it when his homeroom was so far away from everything else.

When he reached his homeroom he saw the same blue-hair girl from before talking to three other girls along with two boys. The brunette of the group was yelling angrily at a smug chartreuse hair guy, being held back by a carrot top that kept her hair in a side ponytail.

Definately drama queens, Paul mused.

**

* * *

**

"C'mon, May, calm down!" Misty pleaded, sweat dropping as she tried her best to calm her outraged friend.

"Hey, isn't that the new kid Ash says just moved by by him?" Drew questioned Gary, who just shrugged and walked past the girls, greeting the new kid with the lavender colored hair.

Dawn huffed, crossing her arms as she spotted that familiar shade of lavender.

"That guy's a jerk," she declared ludly. "I met the jerk about ten minutes ago. He looked lost, so I decided to be nice and help him. And do you want to know what he did? He _glared!_ He glared at me after I _kindly_ asked him if he needed help! He freakin' _glared!_ GLARED! He's so rude; you would think he would be nice being new and all!"

Zoey rolled her eyes as she listened to her friend. "Hey Leaf!" Zoey greeted another one of their friends, the second brunette of the group.

"Hey!" Leaf chirped, paying no attention to May's cross face and Dawn's frosty glare as she cursed the new kid from afar. "I'm so tired! I stayed up all night trying to finish my history project!"

Dawn blinked, snapping out of her not-so-silent fit of anger. "Ugh! I'm going to get such a bad grade on that project! I HATE history!"

May giggled. "Just be glad we don't have it first. We have coordinating first today, don't we?" May questioned, looking expectantly at Zoey.

Zoey nodded.

"Either way I'm going to do badly! I always do on Ms. Kim's stupid history projects!" Dawn complained.

"Oh relax, Dawn!" Misty replied, rolling her eyes at her friend's usual self-doubt when it came to major history projects. "Your project can't be that bad! Ms. Shirona rarely gives F's or D's to those who actually turn in their project! I bet you'll at least get a C."

"Huh. Yeah, a C. That does nothing to my grade level which is also a C," Dawn snorted, crossing her arms as she continued with her doubtful thoughts. "Doesn't lower my grade, but doesn't help my grade. It's just _there_!"

_Ding! Ding! Ding!_

Dawn groaned as the three chimes of the school bell rang, meaning school had just officially started.

"Thanks Arceus coordinating is first!" Dawn mumbled out loud to herself, shuffling into the classroom behind her friends. The five took their usual seat towards the back of the class at a large rectangular wooden table that was able to hold up to six people altogether.

Dawn sat on the right side of the table, on the opposite side of Zoey who was seated by Misty. May was on Dawn's left while Leaf was on May's left.

"Hey guys!" Marina greeted. She was the sixth girl of the group with sky blue hair, a lighter blue than Dawn's, that was kept in a similar fashion to May's except that the end of her hairs stuck out rather than in like May's. Her face was currently flushed for whatever reason.

"Sorry I'm late! I woke up late… and the bus… missed the bus…" Marina panted, taking a seat on the right side of the table by Misty.

"Oh gosh Marina," Dawn laughed. "Since when do _you _sleep in?"

"Since eleventh grade and since Ms. Shirona became my history teacher, and since Ms. Shirona started assigning us all these ridiculous projects! We never get a break from them! Two months ago we had to do a project on one of the stupid city-states in one of the other regions, last month we had to do a project on how one of the legendary pokemon and how they affected the world during the B.C. era, this month we have to do a project on a stupid fossil pokemon and how they became extinct!"

"I rather have homework every day…" Dawn muttered to herself, sighing heavily as she laid her head on the table.

"Seriously, who cares about a stupid fossil?!" Marina exclaimed, pounding her fists on the table.

"Hey May, I can't wait until coordinating today when I beat you _again_." A smug voice greeted from behind Dawn.

"Drew, how about you do us all a favor and jump in a lake!" An outraged May screeched, standing up from her seat immediately, glaring intensely at the chartreuse hair man.

"Calm down May," Dawn sweat dropped, holding the girl's wrist in order to refrain May from doing any physical damage to Drew, no matter how much he deserved it.

Drew smirked, doing his signature hair flick as he said, "Yeah, calm down May. You don't want to break a nail, and I'm sure Dawn doesn't want to break a nail holding you back."

"Hey! What is that suppose to mean?!" Dawn yelled, her hair whipping against her back as she turned to glare at Drew. Now Drew had two sets of blue eyes glaring at him.

"This is dumb…" A quiet scolding voice muttered to himself.

"Hm?" Dawn blinked, noticing the same purple-hair man with the dark cold eyes right behind Drew, scowling with his arms folded across his chest, standing next to Ash, Gary and Kenny.

Grinding her teeth together, she sat back down, still glaring at Drew though who smirking smugly at May, doing his signature hair flick. Both May's and Drew's eyes were connect, electricity crackling from May's sapphire eyes.

"He's not worth it May," Misty told the brunette, also glaring at Drew. "Besides, we all know Drew is just being bitter because you won last time you two battled in coordinating class. The _loser._"

Drew's eyebrows furrowed together, irritation sketched across his face as he leaned against a chair. "That was last time, a one-time only thing. She will never be able to beat me again."

"Yeah because May will be the winner of the contest while you won't even make it past the appeal rounds," Dawn countered, sticking her tongue out triumphantly.

"I don't exactly remember anybody asking for your opinion, Dawn," A male with spiky brunette hair sneered. The male was Gary Oak, a friend of Drew's.

Dawn had to pinch her arm as she cursed mentally to herself. She responded as calmly as she could though as she spoke to her childhood friend, Kenny. "I still can't believe you hang out with jerks like Drew and Gary, Kenny."

The boy smirked smugly, shrugging as he replied, "I only hang out with them because I get paid to."

"That makes sense," Leaf chimed in. "But I wouldn't hang out with someone like _Gary_ even if somebody paid me _millions_ of dollars!"

Zoey rolled her eyes at Leaf, and Misty giggled.

"Liar." May coughed to Leaf.

"Green hair lover," Leaf coughed back, glaring at the other brunette.

"Gary lov-"

"Shut up!" Dawn coughed loudly to the two who's "coughing" was getting louder.

All the boys sweat dropped as they listened to the girls, minus the stone-faced plum-haired man and the dense one, Ash, who was too dense to realize what they were talking about.

"Hey, Mist," Ash, a messy black hair man greeted. "Did you finish your social studies project for Ms. Kim's class?"

Misty nodded, smiling up at the man. "Mhm. I finished it two days ago."

A frown crossed Ash's face at this news. "What?! I finished mine at like… two o'clock in the morning! How did you finish your project so fast?!"

"Easy: I didn't wait until the last minute," The carrot top replied casually.

"Oh... Well, we better go find a seat before Ms. Julian yells at us!" Ash chirped to the other four males. "See you later Misty!" The other guys followed Ash to their usual seat on the opposite side of the room.

As they passed, Paul accidentally brushed against Dawn's back. Dawn blinked, surprised to feel a tingling go down her spine, something like a cross between a shock and a shiver.

Dawn turned her face to watch the retreating back of the purple hair teen who wore a gray and lavender jacket, a gray shoulder bag slung diagonally over his shoulder, the same strap across his chest and back. He walked with his hands shoved into his pants pockets, following the others so casually Dawn couldn't help but feel confused.

I wonder what his name is… Dawn found herself wondering, turning back to her friends who were chatting excitedly about the Valentine's Day dance which was coming up in only a few more days, or next Tuesday actually. Dawn only heard half of the conversation though as she thought about the mysterious new boy.

**---**

**Paul's POV**

I took a seat on the far edge of the table, on the side of the table which allowed me to have a good view on the table I just left with the other guys, the table which was filled with girls. Dawn, May and the third girl who's name I never learned (the girl who was the second brunette of the group), backs were facing my way.

The blunette, Dawn, the girl who had kindly offered to help me find what I was looking for was gazing thoughtfully out a nearby window. She turned back to her friends once in a while to say something or answer a question they asked her, but then resumed her gazing out the window. My eyes lingered on her.

I felt her gaze on my back when I left their table, I found myself thinking, staring thoughtfully at her.

There was something alluring about her…

My eyes drifted away from her as Drew and Gary started to talk about the girls at the other table.

"Who are those girls?" I found myself asking Ash, the most naïve one of the group. He was probably the friendliest one out of the bunch, considering he was friendly with Misty, the carrot top.

"The most popular girls at school," It was Drew who answered my question, a smug smirk on his face as he leaned back in his chair and flicked his hair. "Not as popular of us though, of course." He added quietly, flicking his hair once more.

Flicking his hair must be a habit of his or something, I noted mentally.

"Just like we," He gestured to himself, Gary, Kenny and Ash. "Are the most popular guys at school. Along with Jimmy, but he's sick today. And you'll probably be too, if you continue to hang out with us. Popular I mean, not sick."

I stared blankly at him, my elbows propped up and my hands folded together in disinterest.

At least I know who the stuck up one of this bunch is.

"Misty Waterflower—she's the carrot top I was talking to—is the athletic water pokemon lover," Ash informed me. "She's in the swimming class; actually in fact, she's the school's best and fastest swimmer. She's also a water pokemon lover and mainly trains them. She's also the school's best water type pokemon trainer. Her sisters, Lily, Violet and Daisy Waterflower were well-known in high school, and now they teach water ballet and puts on shows with water pokemon which Misty sometimes gets to star in. Actually, our homeroom teacher is Misty's sister, Daisy. According to Misty, Daisy thought she was getting a job here as a drama teacher!" Ash laughed at this.

The girl who was called Misty was currently talking to a girl with short messy wine red hair. Misty had carrot color hair which she kept in a side ponytail and sea green eyes. She wore a pale yellow t-shirt with a Togepi on it, the words "_Cute!_" written in fancy font, and short dark blue jean shorts.

"Then the brunette I was talking to, she's May Maple. She's known as the cute tomboy coordinator," Drew's smirk widened, flicking his hair once more, continuing, "She's a coordinator like me. She's one of the school's top ten best coordinators also like me. Her dad owns Maple Inc., which in case you didn't know, is a company that deals with normal-type pokemon like Vigoroth and Slaking. Like, have Zoos for them and stuff. _And_, her favorite color is red, which is why she is always seen wearing red clothes."

Sure enough the brunette with her hair that was spread apart and being held as if they were in pigtails (_when they weren't_) wore a red halter neck over a white t-shirt with a wide neckline, and a faded blue skirt with frayed edges. She also wore a red belt with matching red sneakers; she even had a red bow in her hair, plus a beaded necklace she wore around her neck.

"The other brunette is Leaf Green. Leaf is the preppy, shrewd girl of the group. She may appear bubbly and sweet, but she's really cunning and quick-witted. One time she tricked Ash into buying pokemon food for a fundraiser by telling him it was Girl Scout cookies." Gary told me next.

I narrowed my eyes at Ash in a questioning way.

The girl who had apparently tricked Ash into buying pokemon food by saying it was Girl Scout's cookies had long straight brown hair and wore a white tank top with a green shrug, a green silk skirt, white knee high socks and green ballet shoes. She definitely did not look like the kind who would—or _could_—trick somebody.

"Well, they looked like girl scout cookies! How was I suppose to know?" He defended, laying his head on the table in a pouty way. I rolled my eyes.

"Exactly! She's also one of the head members in the school's 'Mask of Ice' club, a popular, secretive club very few people are members of. None of the members in that club talk about what goes on in it, which is really annoying. Even her friends don't know what the club does. Leaf is also one of the school's top three strongest trainers. Her pokemon are also deceitful in a way—never trust cute, cuddly pokemon such as jigglypuff!" Gary declared. He crossed his arms and nodded, leaning back in his chair.

"Then there's Zoey Nozomi, she's the…" Kenny placed a thoughtful finger on his chin. "She's the 'intelligent tough-girl coordinator'," Kenny nodded after a second, approving of the way he decided to describe this Zoey girl. "She's the girl with short red hair. She, along with May, is one of the school's best coordinators."

So she's the one talking to Misty, eh? She wore an orange tank top with faded denim capri pants and red sneakers. She wore black sunglasses which were currently on her head. She had this whole calm and collect tough-girl atmosphere around her.

She sure doesn't look like a pushover, I'll give her that, I thought to myself.

"Zoey is also a straight-A student and is also the school's journalist along with Kimberlee, another girl that doesn't hang out with them." Kenny continued, "She's really nice; just don't mess with her friends because she has a very colorful vocabulary and a nasty punch."

"How do you know?" I questioned. "She beat you up or something?" I smirked at this thought. No, not because I think he deserves it or because I hold anything against him, or not even because I'm a sadist, but just because the thought of a girl beating him up amused me. You can't blame me, ya know.

"No, but Harley got beat up by her. He was a senior last year, but he's graduated now. I witnessed Zoey having a little 'chat' with him about trying to mess May up in coordinating class. He would have gotten off a lot worse, but Solidad, Harley's girlfriend, came just in time to save him." Kenny grinned, chuckling softly to himself.

"And then the other girl who is sitting by Misty is Marina Crystal. She's Jimmy's girlfriend. She, just like the other two third of the group, is a coordinator. She's also currently taking modeling classes." Ash began once more.

Drew continued, "She already got to model for a shoot once, for this one coordinating magazine that was advertising the Pokétch."

The girl had light blue hair which was kept in a similar fashion to May's, I noted. Except hers is straighter, and sticks out the opposite way.

Dawn—I think that was her name, if I remember correctly—the only girl they haven't told me about yet, turned towards us for a second before turning back to May. May also glanced at our table real quick, before whispering something to the blunette. Dawn covered her mouth, her face going light pink as she supposedly stifled a giggle.

"Who's the last girl?" I questioned, my eyes focusing on the blunette once more, following her every movement. Something about her was just…captivating. It was just hard not to notice her.

Or maybe it's just me…

"_Well fine then Mr. **Rude**, but if you're looking for the office you just go straight and turn at the next corner." _

Mr. Rude? I scoffed inwardly as I remembered the 'name' she came up for me.

"You mean Dawn?"

"Dawn Berlitz?"

"DeeDee?"

DeeDee?

"If you mean the girl with dark blue hair, then yes, I am talking about 'Dawn Berlitz' or 'DeeDee'."

Kenny smirked, slumping lazily in his chair. "_Dawn Berlitz_," He began. "Is one of my childhood friends. I knew her before preschool! We use to both live in Twinleaf, but then coincidentally, we both ended up moving to Veilstone. Weird, huh? Anyways, enough with that. Did you know she's the school's head cheerleader, or the cheerleading captain?"

I shook my head.

Ash nodded, continuing, "She's also a coordinator, and just like May, Zoey and Marina, is in the school's top ten coordinators. She might even be the _best_ coordinator in this school! Her mom is also a Grand Festival winner."

"One of her goals, other than to be a Grand Festival winner like her mom, is to be a fashion designer or a stylist. She has an outfit for every one of her pokémon to wear during coordinating class, like a vest for her Lopunny." Drew told me, flicking his hair once more.

"She's also the richest girl at school. Her mom owns all the '_Dawn'_ stores, which she was named after by the way. And just in case you don't know or have never heard of the store, '_Dawn'_ is a store which sells all kinds of diamond jewelries like diamond necklaces, diamond bracelets, diamond rings, diamond earrings, et cetera, et cetera…" Gary drawled on. "And like Ash already mentioned, her mom is a Grand Festival winner, making their family even richer."

So that explains the expensive bracelets and the diamond necklace she was wearing, I mused.

Kenny chuckled next to me, continuing the conversation. "Yeah, she gets _so _annoyed with me when I call her DeeDee."

This broke my chain of thought, a new curiosity catching my interest. "Why do you call her 'DeeDee'?"

"It stands for 'Diamond Dawn'." Kenny grinned. "Though it also stands for 'Ditzy Dawn', too because she is such a klutz! Plus a few other things I came up with, but it mainly stands for those two. Oh, and I also call her that for an incident that happened when we were still in nursery school…" Kenny chuckled as he said this last part.

I raised an eyebrow at the source of the nickname. I understood perfectly well where the nickname came from though.

A glamour girl… I thought, my eyes flickering to her for a few more seconds.

"Dawn is like the 'diamond' of the school," Ash spoke to me when he said this. "She's rich, she's popular, head cheerleader, a great coordinator, and she has a promising future of being a fashion designer or stylist."

The 'diamond' of the school… My eyebrows furrowed together as the words repeated in my mind.

Makes it sound as if her life is perfect, I thought to myself, glancing at the blunette again.

"_Do you need help with something?" _

"Well, just because she's all those things, she better not expect me to bow down at her feet and treat her like royalty." I said out loud, scoffing scornfully.

Before any of them could reply, there was three loud _Dings!_, signaling that advisory had just come to an end and it was time to go to first period.

My first period is Trainer's class… I thought to myself, remembering reading it from my class schedule.

"Hey, are you going to Trainer's class, too?" Ash questioned, running to catch up with me. I nodded once. "Really? Oh cool! Me and Gary have that class right now, too! Here I'll show you where it is, 'kay?"

**

* * *

**

_(Last Period of the Day)_

"See you later Zoey," Dawn chirped as the two headed their separate ways, one going to their chemistry class, the other heading to their scienceclass.

Dawn spotted the new kid, who she learned name was Paul Shinji, not far ahead. Having gotten over her grudge at him for being rude to her when she was just trying to help, she skipped over to him, wearing a sweet smile on her face.

"Hey Paul! As you may or may not know, I'm Dawn, from most of your classes—"

"I know who you are." Paul grumbled, narrowing his eyes at the bubbly blunette.

"Oh. Well, um… anyway! So, are you going to science class too?" She questioned kindly, still smiling her sickeningly sweet smile. Her smile faltered some as he turned his icy stare upon her, a shiver going down her spine from the iceberg-cold look he wore.

"U-um…" she stammered sheepishly, a blush crawling on her cheeks.

"Yes, I'm going to science class," He growled, stopping in his tracks to fully glare at her now.

Dawn frowned. Why is he glaring at me like that? What I did I say that made him so mad?

"Are you o—"

"Listen up – just because you may think you're 'all that' don't expect me to be friendly to you twenty four-seven. Got it?" Paul's black orbs bore into her own ocean blue ones.

Dawn instantly felt annoyed. "I didn't expect you to!" She snapped. "Gosh, you are so rude! All I'm trying to do is be friendly! What's your problem?"

"My problem is annoying girls like you," Paul responded, turning his back to her.

Dawn seethed with anger. "You know what! Fine! Treat me like crap! See if I care!" She shrieked at him, walking fast so she could keep up with his pace. "F.Y.I. though, the world would be a much nicer place without assholes like you being so stuck up!"

Paul rolled his eyes, grimacing as the girl continued her jabbering.

"Hey! Are you even listening to me?!"

Paul turned to her, deciding to humor her by saying, "What did you say?"

A vein popped in Dawn's head, and if this was a cartoon, steam would be coming out of her ears. Her face was flushed with anger as she bit back a rude retort.

The two had reached their destination – Ms. Natane's class.

Dawn fast-walked inside, her fists clenched at her side. She pulled out the chair from her desk, cursing as the chair accidentally went too far and banged her in the leg. She sat down in a huff, her nails now digging into her arms as she crossed them in front of her.

Dawn was on the verge of screaming when she heard the girl next to her, Tess, who had shoulder-long platinum blond hair with bangs that covered one of her honey color eyes whispered to a friend next to her, "Look! There's the new kid, Paul Shinji! He's so hot!"

"Yeah, he is!" Her friend with caramel colored hair agreed.

"I'm thinking about asking him out. Should I?" Tess questioned, biting her lip anxiously as she glanced at Paul from the corner of her eyes.

"Of course!"

"You may take the empty seat next to Dawn, Paul." Ms. Natane told Paul, pointing to the desk that in fact was empty right next to Dawn.

Dawn wanted to bang her head on her own desk but resisted doing so. She glared at Paul who matched her own glare as he took the seat next to her.

Dawn could see Leaf from the other side of the room, waving her arms around in order to catch the blunette's attention.

'What' Dawn mouthed.

She pointed at her then pointed at Paul, shrugging as she gave a confused look. 'What's with you and the new kid?' she was trying to say.

Dawn groaned mentally. She scrunched up her face, mouthing 'kill me' as she let her head hit the desk with a soft thud.

"Hey, Paul? Um… that's your name, right?" Tess asked nervously, poking her fingers together and then clasping and unclasping them.

Paul nodded once, turning his attention to the anxious girl.

"I was wondering… would you like to go out with me?" She batted her eyelashes innocently, looking at him pleadingly with puppy-dog like eyes.

Dawn snorted scornfully. Paul's a complete jackass, there's no way he'll say ye—

"I don't see why not." Paul replied back, giving a small shrug.

Dawn's jaw dropped, but she quickly closed her mouth again so she wouldn't look stupid.

D-Did he just… B-but he's a…!

Anger began to boil inside of her, threatening to overflow and spill as she did all that she could not to explode in the middle of class.

That asshole!

Tess's eyes lit up and she began to squeal, "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Before turning back to her friend, chatting enthusiastically with her friend as she thought up possible dream dates.

Paul gave a small smirk at the girl's enthusiasm before turning away so he now faced the blunette, hr name having escaped his mind at that moment, who he noticed looked on the verge of screaming at somebody at the top of her lungs.

"You're a fucking asshole!" She hissed, glaring at him with blue eyes that burned with an intense fire in them. "You did that to spite me, didn't you?"

Paul snorted. "Spite you? Why would I do that?"

Dawn calmed down some, but anger still gnawed at her like annoying termites. "I don't know why," she replied calmly, her index finger twitching. "Because for some reason unknown to me you hated me the moment you set eyes on me?"

Paul blinked uninterestedly at her, turning away. "Believe what you want. I don't care."

"Fine! Then I'm going to believe you're some kind of sick sadist who takes pleasure in getting me mad!" Dawn huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest, slumping slightly in her seat.

A small smirk began to upturn Paul's lips, amused at how pouty she was being. "A sadist? That's the best you got?" He taunted.

"Actually, no," Dawn seethed. "I got much worse theories, but I don't want anybody's ears to bleed when I say what they are."

"My ears are bleeding from listening to you right now," Paul retorted back, resisting the urge to laugh menacingly as he saw the blunette's eyes flare up with unmasked anger for him.

"Hmph!" She huffed, turning away from him. "Stupid jerk… thinks he's all that… I oughta…" Her voice trailed off as she heaved a sigh, gazing thoughtfully out the window, now resting her chin on one hand.

Paul's eyes lingered on her for a few extra seconds before he turned away, turning to the teacher who was now speaking to the class about how different kinds of grass type pokémon adapt to different areas.

* * *

"So how was your first day at Platinum High School, Paul?" Reggie questioned kindly from the kitchen as heard his brother enter the door. He stopped chopping the carrots for the stew he was making to hear his brother's response.

Paul stayed quiet for a minute as he recalled the day's events.

Well, he easily made four new friends, already had a date, and then… Paul smirked slightly as he remembered how easily it was just to get _her_ mad. How easy it was to get the school's 'diamond' pissed off at him.

Maybe he _was_ a sadist.

"It was…"

Her feisty attitude, her bubbly laugh, her kind smile… Out of all the girls he had ever met in his lifetime, there was something about her that made her stick out in his mind. Every other girl fawned over him, but she… It was just so easy to get her mad.

This year should be interesting with her around.

"Interesting."

.x.

_He's not just a boy, and she's not just a girl  
Believe it or not, they are diamond and pearl_

* * *

**Definition for Diamond:** 1. Hard Colorless Mineral - a hard transparent precious stone that is a variety of carbon.

**First of all, just wanted to say I actually wrote and finished this chapter in August (possibly June or July, can't remember) but haven't posted this up so I can get a headstart on this story. I'm already done with chapter two to five and working on chapter six! :D (I also made an outline of the story up to chapter 16, but that's not very important). And yes, this is a high school fic so it may be a little cliche at first but it'll get more interesting. Just be patient. **

**Anywayyy, I'll probably update this in two weeks. Like I mentioned above, I already have all the chapters up to five written, and had made an outline of the whole story up to chapter sixteen, so hopefully my updates for this story will be fast and frequent. Now, feel free to review~ ;) (Also, does anybody like my last name for Leaf? XD)**


	2. Diamonds

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **She's the diamond: the beautiful jewel of the school. He's the pearl: his school status is built around his fan girls. Together as a couple they are platinum: malleable, ductile and maybe over time, highly resistant Ikarishipping!

_**PART ONE**_—_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Chapter Two**

"What is up with that one kid, Paul?" Dawn exclaimed as she angrily fluffed up her pillow before resting her elbows on it and resting her chin in her hands. She blew angrily at a strand of hair that fell on her forehead. "He's such a jerk! He's such a conceited little spoiled brat and he thinks he's so great and almighty and everything! Grrr! Freaking asshole!"

Dawn's friends sweat dropped as the blunette kept rambling on and on about what a jerk the new plum-haired student was.

"Um, Dawn? This isn't going to go on all night, is it?" Zoey questioned with another sweatdrop. The red-head wore a white t-shirt with brick red pajama bottoms that had a white stripe going down each leg.

Dawn sighed, letting her face drop into the pillow. She buried her face in it before letting out a muffled, "No." She stood back up. "He just makes me so mad! I mean, what did I ever do to him? He's _half-way _nice to everybody else, but he's a complete asshole to me!"

"I think you're overreacting Dawn," May chimed in, emerging from Dawn's huge bathroom that was part of her enormous room, wearing an oversized salmon pink t-shirt with a slumbering skitty on it and red pajama bottoms.

Dawn shot a glare at her brunette friend. _"Overreacting?"_ Dawn hissed. "I don't care if I'm overreacting or not! He's a jerkass and that's that! He's probably out with Tess right now, laughing with her about what an idiot I am and stuff…" She sniffed once, hugging her pillow close to her. "Dumb ass… I bet he gets his thrills getting me mad."

"Maybe it's just me, but somebody sounds _jealouuuuus_~!" Leaf sang in a sing-song voice, giggling as Dawn glowered at her. "ACK!!" Leaf was knocked backwards, her forest green nightgown going up as Dawn smacked her with her fluffed up pillow.

"Hey!" Leaf whined, now glaring at the blunette who grinned triumphantly at her. "No fair! Nobody said we were having a pillow fight!"

"I think Leaf is right though about Dawn being jealous," Misty piped up, turning to the next page of the book she was reading. Misty wore a light blue oversized top with water pokémon like Starmie and Staryu on the front with darker shorts that only reached to her upper thigh. Her feet kicked her butt as she read.

"I am not jealous because that jerk is going out with Tess!" Dawn huffed. "Besides Tess will probably break up with the jerk the very next day after realizing what a conceited a-hole he is! Tess is _waaay_ too nice and sweet to go out with a jackass like Paul!"

"Okay, now how about we talk about something else other than Dawn and her obvious crush on Paul?" A pillow greeted Zoey's face as soon as she finished her sentence.

"Pillow fight!" May declared, smacking the laughing blunette in the behind with her pillow, earning a "Hey!" from Dawn.

"Take this!" Misty yelled as she smacked the coordinating brunette in the head and then smacking the other brunette, Leaf, as she came up from behind her with a pillow. "Ha! You can't sneak up on—" Misty was cut short as Zoey smacked the carrot top in the back of the head with a pillow.

Many shouts, shrieks and giggles along with plenty of pillow-smacking minutes later, all five girls were on their stomachs, panting while also laughing like mad, attempting to catch their breath.

"Too bad Marina isn't here…" Dawn wheezed, holding her side. "She loves pillow fights!"

"Yeah…" Zoey agreed. "She went to the Orange Islands for the weekend didn't she?"

Dawn nodded. She smoothed down her rose pink tank top that got ruffled during their pillow fight, then pulled up the bubblegum pink shorts she wore.

"Hey! Lets play truth or dare!" Leaf suggested enthusiastically, her grin widening as everybody agreed. "Okay! I get to go first!"

"Now, um, lets see… Misty! Truth or Dare?" Misty hesitated, clicking her tongue once against the roof of her mouth and then biting her lower lip nervously.

"Um, truth, I guess…" She mumbled uncertainly.

"Okay! Is it true you wear thongs like the rumors from last year said you did?"

"HELL NO!" Misty screeched, her face instantly brightening to red. "Those rumors are not true! Some bitches just started that rumor because they are jealous of me or something! I swear on Daisy's frilly pink bikini, I do _not_ wear thongs!"

Leaf giggled. "Okay, fine, I believe you! No need to be so defensive, Misty!"

"Yeah," May agreed with a sly smirk. "Somebody may think you're lying…"

"I AM NOT BEING DEFENSIVE!" Misty screamed, glowering at May and Leaf who were cracking up, holding their sides. Misty growled, reaching behind her back to grab her mallet.

"Okay, my turn now…" Misty growled, still glaring at the two brunettes. "Hm… Who to pick? Who to pick?"

May gulped uneasily while Leaf just waited calmly for Misty to choose.

"MAY! Truth or dare?"

"Oh… um, dare?" No matter how annoyed Misty was at her right now, surely Misty wouldn't do anything too bad for her to do as a dare, right?

"Okay, lets see…" May calmed down some as Misty put her mallet away, now staring thoughtfully at her feet as she thought of a dare for May to do. "Aha! Got it! May, I dare you to call…" May gulped, intertwining her fingers together anxiously. "Drew!"

May groaned. "Why him?" She whined. "Can't I prank call somebody else?"

Misty shook her head. "You're not prank calling him May," Misty explained with a playful eye roll. "You're going to make him wish you two never broke up!"

May sighed softly as she recalled the days when, yes, her and Drew were a couple. "How do I do that? I mean, if I call him right now he'll probably think I'm asking him to take me back. Arrogant jerk…" May glared at her feet, pretending they were Drew. Misty shrugged.

"Ooh! I got it!" Dawn exclaimed, snapping her finger.

"This can't be good…" Zoey teased playfully.

Dawn stuck her tongue out at her before grabbing her pink cordless phone and dialing Drew's number. She waited until she heard the phone being picked up before handing it to May, putting the phone on speaker so they could hear what Drew was saying.

"_What do you want Dawn?"_

"Damn it! Stupid Caller ID!" Dawn muttered under her breath. "Tell him it's you, May!" Dawn whispered to the fidgeting brunette.

"Um, this isn't Dawn, Drew. It's May. I'm just at her house," May replied timidly, staring questioningly at Dawn.

Dawn picked up a piece of paper and then quickly began scribbling on it.

"_Oh, I could just guess what you want May. About to beg for me to—"_

"No, I am not about to beg you to take me back Drew, so keep dreaming!" The brunette snapped into the phone, now glaring at Dawn's strawberry chocolate cell phone.

Dawn held up the piece of paper she was holding up.

"Um, I just wanted to inform you that I'm out on a date right now," May told him smugly over the phone as she read off the paper Dawn had held up.

"_Wait--I thought you were at Dawn's house?"_

Dawn face-palmed herself along with May. Dawn quickly scribbled more words on the previous paper. She held up the paper for May to read off of.

"O-oh, well, yeah I am! I'm having the date at her house! A-a double date!" May stammered.

"_Nice try May, but I'm not stupid." _Drew said over the phone, his voice smug and arrogant. _"Trying to make me jealous by saying you're on a date May, or are you getting desperate?"_

May's face heated up, a fuchsia pink blush highlighting her face. "Okay, fine! I'm not really on a date with someone else! Happy now? Besides, I wouldn't had even bother calling a lousy salad-head like you, but I was dared to by Misty!"

"_You're not exactly the best with excuses at the moment May," _Drew taunted smugly.

Dawn took the phone away from the steaming May, saying to Drew, "Actually, she's not lying Drew. Me, Misty, May, Leaf and Zoey are having a sleepover at my place and we just started playing truth or dare!"

"_Figures," _A familiar voice grumbled on the other end of the line.

Dawn blinked. "Do you have somebody over?"

"_Actually, I have four somebody's over,"_ Drew corrected._ "Gary, Ash, Kenny and Paul."_

Dawn frowned on the other end of the phone. "Wait--you have that jackass over at your house!"

"_Which 'jackass' are you talking about? According to your bunch of friends a lot of us are jackasses."_

"I'm talking about prune-ass who thinks its funny to piss me off!" Dawn screamed to the other end.

"Hey! You were wrong about that whole Paul laughing with Tess about what an idiot you are!" Leaf chimed in with a giggle.

"_What did Leaf say?"_ Drew questioned.

"Err, nothing…" Dawn muttered sheepishly, a sweat drop trickling down the side of her face. "Anyway," Dawn continued, the fire back in her voice. "What is that _jackass_ doing right now anyway? Knowing you jerks, probably sharing stories about ways you piss us off. Except for Ash and Kenny, of course, since they aren't as pathetic as you guys."

May high-fived Dawn at the great comeback while Leaf just giggled and flashed her a thumbs up.

"Nice one!" Misty congratulated her with a giggle.

"_Actually, I was just telling everybody about how you and May messed up on your combo in coordinating class today because you two were too busy spending your time socializing instead of thinking of a decent appeal,"_ Drew responded back calmly. No doubt the chartreuse teen had just flicked his hair, smirking arrogantly as he said this.

May snatched the phone out of Dawn's hand.

"Oh, look who thinks he's Mr. Hot-Shot!" May screamed into the phone. "Well guess what! You're _not_ Mr. Hot-Shot, so listen hear Cabbage Head--!"

"_Somebody needs to tell that girl to shut up before we go deaf…"_ A familiar voice grumbled on the other end followed by raucous laughter that must have belonged to Kenny.

Dawn snatched the phone back. "Hand the phone to Paul right now Drew so I can have a 'friendly' talk with him."

"Wait--that was Paul who said I have to shut up before they go deaf? I thought that was Gary!" May exclaimed. May glared at the phone. "You're right Dawn, he is an asshole!"

"Told you!" Dawn chirped triumphantly.

"Hey, May, you still have to do your dare." Misty told the brunette as she propped her elbows on a pillow.

"What? I already did my dare!" May exclaimed. "My dare was to call Drew wasn't it?!"

Dawn could hear the phone being moved around some as the phone was given to somebody else. _"Sounds like somebody was talking about me." _A cold voice said into the receiver.

Zoey snorted. "She never stops."

"Hey! What is that suppose to mean?" Dawn glowered at Zoey, covering up the phone with one hand so Paul and the others couldn't hear their conversation.

Zoey smirked. "I mean you never shut up about him being an asshole and such," Zoey replied innocently. "The way you never stop complaining about him can make somebody think you're in love with him."

Dawn scoffed. "She's exaggerating," Dawn said to the purple-hair man on the other end.

_"What the hell are you talking about?"_

"Oh really? Well, as soon as we came over to your house for the sleepover you started talking about him."

"I think you mean _complaining_!" Dawn snapped back, blood rushing to her cheeks.

"Same thing."

"Is not!"

"How exactly is it not the same thing?"

As the two were bickering Leaf slipped the phone from Dawn's hand. It was silent on the other end of the phone, but Leaf knew Paul and the rest were still there, probably amused by the argument going on between the two friends.

"Well, it was nice talking to you guys but we'll be going now! We have to go take _showers_," Leaf hung up the phone.

"How come you said we were going to take showers?" Misty questioned the brunette who just shrugged, replying innocently:

"It'll make them picture things."

It was silent for a moment as the girls let the meaning sink in. Suddenly Leaf was bombarded with pillows as the girls erupted into loud, maniacal laughter.

"I can't believe I just heard you say that, Leaf!" Misty giggled.

"And we all thought you were the _innocent_ one!" Dawn laughed.

Leaf just shrugged, changing the subject. "So it's your turn to truth or dare somebody May!"

"Okay!" May chirped. "Zoey, truth or dare?"

"Dare," Zoey replied confidently, smirking as she waited for May's dare.

"Okay, um…" May sweat dropped. Yeah, May wasn't the best at coming up with dares. "How about… um, I dare you to… I dare you to…" May snapped her fingers, her face brightening. "I dare you to spread a nasty rumor about Drew!"

"Nice way of getting revenge May," Dawn giggled. "Have Zoey do the dirty work for you."

"Okay, fine. Consider it done," Zoey replied as she whipped out her Blackberry Storm, sending a quick text to somebody with one hand.

"Who did you text?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, but more importantly, what did you put?" May asked eagerly, her eyes shining evilly as she attempted to peer over Zoey's shoulder.

"Tammy Goodes." Zoey announced.

"Really? She's the biggest gossiper in the whole school!" Misty exclaimed with shock. She scooted closer to Zoey to see what she was texting.

Zoey smirked. "Exactly."

"So what does it say?" Dawn urged, trying to peer over Zoey's shoulder with her other three friends.

"It says: 'I heard Drew just got tested for herpes'."

Misty, Dawn and Leaf broke into laughter while May just frowned at the text.

"You should have just put that he _has _herpes!"

"Don't worry, May. As we all know, Tammy is the gossip queen of the school so the whole school will think Drew either _has_ herpes or has gotten _tested_ for herpes by Monday. Don't forget that most stories get altered on the way anyway, so the rumor will probably be much worse than Drew having herpes."

"Being one of those unfortunate victims of a nasty rumor, I'm actually feeling kind of sorry for Drew right now." Misty admitted as she stretched her arms and arched her back which cracked.

"Pfft. Drew deserves it." May huffed.

"Moving on…" Zoey drawled, putting her cell phone away. "Dawn, truth or dare?"

"I'll go with truth." Dawn decided, hugging a pillow close to her chest.

Zoey smirked. "Perfect," Dawn started messing with her hair, gulping from the unsettling gaze Zoey was giving her. "Is it true you like Paul?"

Dawn dropped her pillow as her face heated up several degrees. "_Heck_ no!" She shrieked, waving her hands defensively in front of her. "I DO NOT like him!"

"Then why are you blushing?" Leaf teased, pulling on Dawn's left cheek which was warm at the touch.

"I'm not blushing!" Dawn defended, covering her cheeks up quickly. "Th-the question! I-it was just… unexpected! Um, yeah! That's all!"

"How come you don't like him?" Zoey queried.

"Well for one, I don't know him that well, and two, when I did get the chance to get to know him he was being a brat!"

"Do you think he's cute though?" It was Leaf who asked this question.

Dawn blushed. She pictured him in her mind. His shoulder-length plum color hair, those intense onyx color eyes, the muscles that were hidden beneath his shirt and jacket. Dawn blushed as she pictured him shirtless. She shook her head, shaking off the question like a growlithe does with water droplets after it's out in the rain.

"Well, I guess he's kind of cute…" Dawn admitted with another blush. Then she added quickly, "He's still a jerk though!"

Misty giggled. "But you admitted he's cute!"

"Okay! I got a new question for you," Zoey piped up. "If Paul asked you out, would you go out on a date with him?" All eyes turned on Dawn.

"Oh. Um," Dawn hesitated before answering. "Well…"

* * *

Leaf yawned loudly, stretching her arms out behind her to get the cramps out of her arms. "Wow! I'm still exhausted from that three-day sleepover!"

"Of course you are," May replied with a playful eye roll. "The 'three day sleepover' only ended at like, three o'clock in the morning."

"Yeah…" Dawn mumbled, poking at her salad with her spork. "Next time lets not stay up all night on a school night, prank calling everybody we know."

"Well, I don't regret any of it!" Misty declared. "I could survive off of only three hours of sleep every day! Besides, it was just so much fun prank calling everybody! Like remember when we prank called Ash? 'Oh no! Pikachu! I'll save you buddy!'"

Dawn giggled. "Yeah… I really can't believe Ash fell for that one. 'A group of thieves called Team Rocket, one of the thieves being a _talking meowth_, broke into your house and stole your pikachu!' I mean, even I didn't think he was _that_ gullible!"

"Aww, it sounded like lots of fun," Marina commented quietly. "I wish I could have been there."

"Quit complaining," Zoey said. "You got to go to the Orange Islands."

"Yeah, but—"

"Hey! Ash! Did you ever find your Pikachu?" Dawn called over to the raven-hair man who was walking with 'jerkface', or Paul, an innocent smile painted on her face.

Ash glanced suspiciously at Dawn. "Yeah, I did. It was in my room. How did you know my Pikachu got kidnapped by Team Rocket?"

Everybody cracked up laughing except Marina who just stifled a giggle.

Ash's frown deepened even more, and Paul just rolled his eyes at the giggling girls, walking ahead without Ash. Not like he would miss walking with the chatty raven-haired man anyway, being the kind of man who preferred silence.

"Hey! Wait up for me!" Ash called, running after the purple-haired man.

_Ding! Ding! Ding!_

"Well, there's the bell," Dawn muttered as she threw the rest of her lunch in the trash can. "Another class, another hour I have to sit next to a stuck up jerk. I can't believe I have to sit by that jerk in _every_ class! I mean, how the heck did that happen?!"

Zoey shrugged. "Well, you had an empty seat next to you in every class ever since Diana moved," Zoey said with an eye roll.

"Well, I didn't ask the teachers to seat us in alphabetical order according to our last name, or for Diana to move just a week before Paul moves here!" Dawn exclaimed. "I'm just glad got transferred to this class with me, so I don't have to be alone with him. I mean, honestly, he's such an ass to me, it should be illegal! I dropped my pencil in math and I _politely_ asked him if he could pick it up for me since it dropped next to his desk, and he told me to get it myself! How rude! At least I said 'please'!"

"Wow, you really enjoy complaining about him, don't you?" Zoey teased as the two took their seat in Mr. Oak's class.

Dawn frowned as she said in a hushed voice, "He's just so mean…" Dawn gazed at the purple hair man who sat across from her, in front of Zoey who sat next to her. _He's so different from all the other boys… he's so much colder. Harsher. More independent. And I've only known him for a few days, and already I can pick those things out from him._

"Psst! Stop staring at him Dawn!" Zoey hissed at the blunette, smacking her hand lightly, a playful grin playing on her features as she did this. "You've been staring at him for five minutes!"

Dawn's face flushed red, realizing that she, in fact, _was_ staring at Paul. She tore her gaze away from him, forcing herself to look anywhere but at Paul. _W-was I really staring at him for so long?_ Dawn sneaked another quick peek at Paul, her face going warm once more.

"Okay, I need everybody to pair up with a partner of the opposite sex!" Mr. Oak announced, readjusting some reading glass that were on the edge of his nose, continuing, "You and your partner will be reading one chapter in the book we're reading at the moment together, and then you'll do a small presentation on it. By doing this, we know what the book is about without having to read every single chapter, so we end up saving time needed to review your benchmark which is coming up soon. You may begin now."

Dawn was about to comment to Zoey about something, but was interrupted by a creepy voice behind her.

"Hello Dawn," Conway, a guy with forest green hair and glasses which glinted in the sunlight, greeted in that creepy voice of his. "Would you like to be my partner for this?"

With one last glance at Zoey, who was pairing up with Kenny, and Paul who was going to be doing the project with Tess, Dawn turned to Conway. "Sure! I would love to!" She chirped merrily, patting the seat next to her for Conway to sit in.

"Excellent…" Conway muttered with a grin, his glasses glinting as the sunlight that leaked from a window caught them.

Dawn smiled, ignoring the chill that went down her spine at Conway's creepiness. Conway was a great guy, really, he was just… scary at times. Sort of stalker-ish and freaky. Sometimes she got the feelings Conway was behind her when she was alone.

"Okay, Zoey and Kenny you will be working on chapter 7; Paul and Tess you will be working on chapter 8; Dawn and Conway you will work on chapter 9," Mr. Oak told them as he walked pass their groups. "Amy and Jeff you will be working on…"

Dawn drowned out the teacher's voice as she turned to page two-hundred and three which was where chapter nine of the story they were reading started.

"Whoa! These chapters are big!" Dawn exclaimed, sweat dropping as she flipped through the pages. The last page of chapter nine ended on page two-hundred and thirty-one…

"Oh really?" Paul sneered from where he was seating which was now right beside her.

Dawn glared at Paul, but chose not to say anything. "Ignoring Jerkface here who is a Mister Know-It-All…" Dawn mumbled. "Do you want to read first or should--"

"There's no need to worry about who reads first, Dawn, my dear," Conway interrupted as he waved his hand in front of himself, as if dismissing the idea. "I've read this book so many times, I've memorized it."

Dawn's eyes widened slightly. "Really?" She glanced at the large book in front of her. "That must have taken a while to read…" She muttered thoughtfully.

Conway smiled smugly. "Just leave the work to me! Don't you worry a bit, I'll have this done and in A plus mode within minutes!"

"You sure?" Dawn questioned. "I-I mean surely I can help somehow? You don't have to do _all_ the work."

Conway shook his head. "Just relax Dawn and don't worry about a single thing." With that said he turned to the large white poster board Mr. Oak had laid out in front of them and began writing out the presentation's title.

_Bzz. Bzz. Bzz._

Making sure the teacher or nobody else was looking, Dawn took out her strawberry chocolate cell phone (that's right – strawberry. She had the pink cell phone in the group. And not just that, but she had covered the cell phone in little stubby rhinestones which made the phone 10 times better) and read the text message that Leaf had text her.

-

**To:** Dawn  
**From:** Leaf

there's going to be a fire drill in two minutes.

-

**To:** Leaf  
**From:** Dawn

how do you know this?

-

**To:** Dawn  
**From: **Leaf

teacher told us this morning in advisory today. duh.

-

**To:** Leaf  
**From:** Dawn

oh right. forgot.

-

**To:** Dawn  
**From:** May

drew is being a jerkass.

-

**To: **May  
**From:** Dawn

hello to you too.

-

A loud buzz/ringing sound that must have been the fire alarm nearly caused Dawn to drop her strawberry chocolate LG phone as she was startled by the loud noise.

"Oh, darn it!" Mr. Oak yelled, having obviously forgotten about the firedrill. "Blasted alarm!"

---

Less than three minutes later her and Zoey were out in the middle of the football field, lying on a weird blue sheet with the rest of her class. And a little less than five minutes after that, after their current teachers had taken roll, Dawn's other friends (minus Marina because she was being mushy-mushy with Jimmy at the moment) crawled away from their classes to join Dawn and Zoey.

"Hey, anybody up for going to the Mall after school today?" Leaf chimed as she joined the group. "I saw the cutest green dress today in a Forever 21 ad! It had green sparkles and—"

"Heh. Green. That is so like you Leaf," A voice sneered from nearby. Leaf whipped her head around, brunette hair hitting her back as she glared at the spiky-hair brunette behind her.

"What are you doing here Oak? This isn't your class!" Leaf pointed out.

Gary shrugged. "So, it's not your class at the moment either, is it? After all, we have the same math class together."

Leaf stuck her tongue out at him childishly before turning back to her friends. "So how about we go to the mall today. We can pick our dresses out for the Sweetheart Ball! I saw this cute little red dress May could get, and then there was this sexy black halter dress you can get, Dawn. Or there's also this frilly pink dress that was super cute too you could get!"

"I'm in!" Dawn agreed cheerfully. "I haven't had time to go shopping for my dress yet!"

"I'm in too!" May yelled, pumping her fist in the air.

"How about you Misty? Are you in or are you out?" All heads turned to the carrot top of the group who had a thoughtful look on her face.

"Well… it would be nice to get out of my house and away from my ditzy sisters… Okay, I'm in!" Misty finally agreed with a grin, mimicking May and pumping both fists up in the air.

---

Drew flicked his hair, his green eyes gazing at a certain brunette with sapphire colored eyes. "Hmm, so May and her friends are going to the Veilstone Mall?" He mused thoughtfully.

"Really? That's a coincidence," Gary said. "I planned on going there after school with Ash and Paul to get some supplies we need for trainers class."

"What supplies do you need?" Kenny questioned.

"Burn Heal, Elixir, some pokémon vitamins, a whole load of crap," Gary answered the boy. "Maybe we'll run into them while we're there."

"Hey, you wouldn't mind if I tagged along would you?" Drew asked uninterestedly, flipping his chartreuse hair once more. Not like it mattered rather they minded if he tagged along or not, he was coming either way if it meant seeing May again.

Gary shrugged. "I don't care."

"I'll come too then," Kenny decided. "My costume for coordinating class is getting old and ratty anyway."

"No offense Kenny," Gary said. "But that suit makes you look like a nutcracker. It would be better to wear for Halloween."

"And you should wear your face for Halloween," Kenny retorted back, glaring at the arrogant male.

* * *

"Oh! That dress is so cute on you, Zoey!" Dawn squealed as Zoey posed in a cute tangerine colored halter dress that went down just an inch below her knee. The dress was made out of silk and had a white waist band that went just below her chest; the dress also had a deep and thin V-shaped neckline. The dress's color looked perfect with Zoey's short messy wine red hair.

Zoey turned uncertainly in the dress, examining herself in the mirror. "Are you sure? I think I would look better in one of those pantsuits…"

"No, this time you are going to wear a _dress_, Zoey!" Dawn told her best friend sternly. "Now go take off that dress and purchase it! You're going to look absolutely fabulous tomorrow night at the dance!"

Zoey sighed, rubbing her temples as she walked back into one of the Mall's dressing stalls for girls.

"Hey, Daaaawwn!" Leaf yelled, carrying two dresses on separate hangers. "Which dress should I get? I like both of them, but I only bought enough money for one! Which one should I get? Misty and Marina think I should get this one," She held up a forest green spaghetti strapped dress with a V-shaped neckline and ruffles on the bottom half. "But Zoey and May like this one better!" She held up the other dress which was an apple green dress with spaghetti thin straps and a lime green waist band with a big matching bow in the back.

"Help me choose which dress I should get!" Leaf pleaded. "The dark green or the light green? Big bow or no bow? A V-shaped neckline or no? Ruffles or no ruffles? Which one do you like better?"

"Hummmm," Dawn pondered thoughtfully. "I think they are both cute!" She chirped, taking a pink dress off one of the racks along with a cute black dress that she liked, about to enter the changing room to try it on when Leaf stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Dawwwn! Which one should I get?"

Dawn sighed, shrugging as she told the pouting brunette, "Try both the dresses on, then choose whichever dress you think looks better on you."

Leaf sighed too. "Fine. _I_'ll choose," She grumbled, entering one of the four changing room stalls. Dawn rolled her eyes, entering the stall next to Leaf's.

About five minutes later, Dawn emerged from the changing room, wearing an onyx black halter dress that reached to her knees, slits going down the side of the dress that reached to her mid-thigh. Black sleeves also hung off her shoulders and showed her collarbone and the D-shaped necklace she always wore which had been a gift from her dad. Dawn thought it looked pretty cute on her, giving her a cute and flirty, yet rebellious look. All she needed to complete the look now was some stylish pumps and possibly a bow.

Leaf emerged next from the dressing room next, wearing the forest green dress which Dawn thought went well with her brunette hair color.

"You look adorable, Leaf!" Dawn gushed to the brunette.

Leaf giggled. "Thanks! You look awesome too, Dawn!"

"Hey! Guys! How do I look in this dress?" May questioned as she stepped out of a changing room stall. The brunette wore a knee-length scarlet red dress that emphasized her hourglass figure. The dress was also one of those rare one straps.

"It looks wonderful…" Dawn's voice trailed off she heard familiar voices. _Is that Drew's voice I hear?_ Dawn asked herself as she looked over her shoulder, spotting the familiar chartreuse haired teen.

Her eyes widened at the sight of Drew. _What is he doing here? This is the girl's section isn't it…?_ She turned back around, then noticed that the girl's changing room were also close by to the section for men clothing, and behind the men clothes were the section for poké balls and healing supplies for pokémon.

"Hey! Maybe I should get this dress!" Dawn heard Leaf say as she held up a dress similar to the one she was wearing right now, but was ruffle-less and had a big green bow in the back. It looked like a cross between the two dresses Leaf was debating over earlier.

"Leaf? You're here at the Mall too?" Dawn turned back around along with May and Leaf at the sound of Gary's voice.

"Gary? What are you doing here? This is the _girl's_ changing area! Of course, you're sort of a girl yourself…" Leaf trailed off, stifling a giggle as she stuck her small tongue out at him.

"Har har har…" Gary muttered sarcastically.

Dawn blushed as she noticed Paul was also with Drew and Gary. _Great, three arrogant people here at the same time…_ Dawn thought to herself.

She smiled though as she noticed Drew staring at May, looking speechless at the sight of the beautiful brunette in a gorgeous dress. Dawn resisted the urge to giggle, and she prodded May with her elbow.

"Look! Drew is staring at you May…" Dawn whispered to her, giggling as May started to flush red with embarrassment.

"Really?" She asked, biting her lower lip as she fought back a smile. I'm definitely getting this dress! The blunette could just hear her friend say in her mind right now.

"Hey, Drew, if you like how May looks in that dress so much, why don't you ask her to the dance that is tomorrow?" Dawn suggested with a giggle. She giggled louder as May elbowed Dawn in the stomach, a darke pink highlighting her face.

"Dawn!" May whispered, glaring at her friend for suggesting such a thing to her _ex_-boyfriend.

Much to Dawn's enjoyment, Drew's face was also a very light pink as he scoffed, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Why would I do that?" He muttered.

_He didn't deny thinking May looked pretty in that dress though_, Dawn thought with an excited giggle. She glanced from May to Drew and back, thinking with a smile about how the two still obviously liked each other. _I should be cupid or something._

"Well, you would ask her to the dance because you think she's pretty. Besides, if you're going to ask her, it's either now or never because I heard Brendan Birch is going to ask her to the dance tomorrow…"

Drew's shoulders tensed slightly at this news, but he replied as calmly as he could, "And why should I care if Brandon is going to ask _May_ to the dance?"

May huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "Well, you don't need to say it as if somebody asking me is so unbelievable, _Drew_." She mumbled quietly.

"Where are you going?" Dawn questioned the retreating figure of Paul, frowning as he began to walk pass them.

"Away from here," Paul grumbled. Dawn's frown deepened, cocking her head to the side as she decided to follow the plum-hair trainer. Glancing over his shoulder, and noticing the blunette following him, he sighed. "I'm going to the poké ball aisle, okay?"

"Why? Because you need some?" She asked curiously.

"No duh," Paul snorted. "Why else would I be going there? Just to look around but not buy any?"

"Well, it was just a question!" Dawn huffed. "Besides, there's such a thing as _window-shopping_ you know…"

"Well, I wouldn't know." Paul retorted back.

"Well, excuse me _Your Rudeness!_" Dawn yelled back. "But I don't know everything about everything, okay?"

Paul turned around, stopping as he stared at the now fuming blunette who glowered at him with her arms crossed, her lower lip sticking out in a small pout. Her glare died down some as Paul continued his staring.

"What?" She asked, uncrossing her arms uncertainly. She looked the other way as Paul's staring continued, starting to feel embarrassed. _Gee, does he have a staring problem or something?_ She was tempted to ask him this out loud, but held her tongue.

Finally he said something. "Your Rudeness?" Dawn blushed, puffing out her cheeks as she glared at the ground, biting her tongue. "Where did you come up with _that_?" And much to Dawn's surprise, she heard a small chuckle come from him.

Dawn flushed furiously, her face now tomato red and hot with embarrassment. She shrugged. "I dunno." She muttered under her breath. "I just thought of it…"

Paul shrugged, turning back away and continuing to walk until he stood in front of a few kinds of poké balls. He picked up a black poké ball with green spots on.

"Oh, that's a dusk ball!" Dawn exclaimed excitedly. "It's used to catch pokémon in a dark area or during the nighttime!"

"I already knew that," Paul replied back, rolling his dark eyes.

Dawn huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I was talking to myself, jerk…" Dawn grumbled back, a sheepish blush growing across her nose and spreading across her cheeks.

"Well, learn not to talk to yourself," Paul replied back, placing the poké ball back on the shelf.

Dawn's face began to grow hot with anger. "You are such a jerk! I'll talk out loud to myself if I want to!"

"And then everybody listening to you will think you have some mental illness or something," Paul responded back, smirking just slightly as he waited for her response which would, of course, be amusing.

"Go. To. _Hell!_" Dawn spat, glowering fiercely at the plum hair man, her shoulders shaking as she controlled her urge to punch the arrogant man in the jaw, or claw his face off with her manicured fingers.

"Thinking of Hell…" Paul grumbled out loud, taking out his black cell phone and flipping it open. Ignoring the blunette who was still seething with anger at his rude comments to her, began walking away while texting a message to somebody.

"Stupid jerk…" Dawn huffed. "I'll find some way to get back at him!"

---

**(Next Day at School)**

Dawn sighed as she walked into her science class, taking her usual seat next to Paul's current empty seat in class.

"I can't believe he broke up with you! You two haven't even been dating for a week!" A voice exclaimed in a hushed voice. Curious, Dawn looked up, seeing that Cindy, Tess's best friend, was hugging the girl with platinum blond hair.

"What happened?" Dawn spoke up, feeling sympathy for Tess who looked like a mess, having bloodshot eyes with dark bags under them.

"Paul broke up with me…" She whimpered. "He sent me a text to come meet him at his house, and then he said he was _breaking up with me! _I was so shocked! I just feel so bad!"

Dawn was utterly shocked.

At that moment, Paul walked in the room, his expression grim and stony-faced like always. Dawn stared at him with wide blue eyes, confusion, shock and anger filling her mind as he calmly took his seat, as if he haven't just broken up with his girlfriend.

Noticing the gaze that burned into him, he turned to the blunette, raising an eyebrow.

"What?" He glared coldly at the blunette.

"Don't 'what' me!" Dawn snapped back, keeping her voice low so Ms. Natane wouldn't hear her. "You broke up with Tess? You two haven't even been dating a week! Why did you break up with her?"

Paul shrugged. "Wasn't interested in her."

"Why did you even accept her request for a date then?" Dawn nearly shrieked back, feeling her anger grow.

Did this asshole have absolutely no compassion for girl's feelings? You either break their heart, or you don't break their heart. You're not suppose to accept a girl's date if you don't like them, and _then_ break their heart! In Dawn's world, that's a crime. In her world, a boy doing such a thing to a girl was illegal.

"She wanted to date me, so I let her. If I like a girl, I'll continue going out with her. But since I wasn't interested in Tess, I dumped her. Simple as that." Paul replied cruelly.

Dawn wanted to smack him right then and there. But like all the other times, she resisted the strong yearning to do so.

She slumped in her seat, her fingernails digging into her arms as she crossed them, rage still burning strongly in her veins.

In her mind, she made a pledge with herself; that she would never ask Paul out. She would never go out with him, even if _he_ asked her out. She made vowed silently to herself that she would never date Paul or any other jerk like him, because…

It would just leave to heartbreak. Grief. And remorse.

She vowed to herself she would never, ever, EVER go out with that heartless jerk, Paul Shinji.

_.x._

_She is the diamond craving attention_  
_She is the diamond everyone wants [to be]_  
_There's not a flaw the eye can see_  
_She is the precious jewel of the school_  
_She is the diamond that is just too cool_  
_Hiding behind a tough exterior_  
_She is just so much glamour_  
_So rather than look for a flaw_  
_Why don't you just stare in awe?_

* * *

**Also no Paul's not a playboy. He's just a jerk when it comes to dating girls because he'll give them a chance with dating him but if finds he doesn't like them, boom, they break up. But he's not a playboy. :P Unless you count someone dating a girl for a few days with nothing really serious happening between them before moving on to another girl with the same thing happening a playboy. If that's the case, I guess he is a playboy. xD; (I don't count him as one though). Anyway, sorry this took so long to get up. I'm in the middle of reconstructing the chapters I wrote, and... I was too lazy to wanna check over this. 8D; Hope you enjoyed some of this chapter at least. **

**Anyway, feel free to leave a review~ (And let me know if you find any mistakes)**


	3. Pearls

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **She's the diamond: the beautiful jewel of the school. He's the pearl: his school status is built around his fan girls. Together as a couple they are platinum: malleable, ductile and maybe over time, highly resistant to the heat around them. Ikarishipping!

_**PART ONE**_—**_Diamond and Pearl_**

**Chapter Three**

A month has already passed since Paul started attending Platinum High School. And already Dawn envied him.

Dawn wanted to bang her head on something really hard nearby. Her hands itched to rip up that horrible, horrible paper in her hands right now. You want to know what that horrid piece of… _paper _was?

A printout.

A printout with her _History_ grade on it!

Dawn absolutely hated History with a passion. Or eleventh grade History anyway. Her teacher, Ms. Shirona, just _hates_ her (or that's the impression Dawn got from her, anyway). Or maybe she hates the entire class because every month the class either has a new project to work on or a new ten page report on whatever due in the next month. History was Dawn's hell. It was just there to lower her grade average. If it wasn't for this dreaded class, she would have freaking _straight A's!_

Ever since middle school Dawn had gotten nothing but Straight A's. Guess which class had to ruin her straight A's? That's right. _History!_

Dawn sighed at the tiny grade that was printed at the bottom of the printout.

68.82

That was a _D._

Maybe a D+ if she was lucky.

"I hate history!" Dawn declared under her breath, glaring at her desk as her shoulders slumped. She sighed, letting her bangs cover her face as she laid her head on the desk. "Stupid history class…"

With a third and final sigh, Dawn sat upright again, still clenching the horrible paper of truth in her hands. Dawn glanced quickly at Paul's printout, thinking that maybe she wasn't the only one who was almost flunking the class.

HE HAS AN A+?

No.

He has an A++.

"How the hell did you get over one-hundred percent?" Dawn shrieked in astonishment at him.

He has a 102.35!

A FREAKING _102.35_!

How the hell is that even possible in Ms. Shirona's class?

Paul shrugged. "I did all my projects, my homework, and I did extra-credit. That's how I got over one-hundred percent." He told her, rolling his dark colored eyes.

Dawn glanced at her paper again and then at Paul's. At hers, then Paul's. At hers, then Paul's.

Again, she allowed her head hit her desk.

_Somebody kill me… _Dawn pleaded quietly in her mind. _Somebody? Anybody?_

"Eh, no need to worry!" Dawn told herself under her breath, shoving the paper in her pink backpack. "I'll bring it up in no time!" She reassured herself.

The bell for school to end rang and kids quickly scampered out.

Maybe I could find a tutor—

"Dawn Berlitz, Paul Shinji. Can you both please meet me at my desk?" Ms. Shirona called to the two who were coincidentally the only two left in the room.

Crap.

"I swear I didn't mean to interrupt class today by screaming at Paul, Ms. Shirona, but he just got me so—"

"This isn't about that, Dawn." The tall and petite blond haired teacher interrupted her, brushing a strand of blond hair from her face.

Oh.

Good.

Dawn sighed in relief while Paul just rolled his eyes, a scowl present on his face.

"It's about your grade, Ms. Berlitz."

Dawn groaned, her shoulders sagging. "I'll work harder next time! I'm trying to bring it up," The blunette started, starting to rub her temples. "Um… is it possible I could get a tutor for this class? Even if this isn't math or language arts?"

Ms. Shirona smiled. "And that's where Paul comes into the picture!"

Paul's eyes widened slightly, either in surprise or confusion. He frowned.

Dawn frowned out of confusion, tilting her head a few degrees. "What does Paul have to do with this?" She questioned, disgust clear in her voice. She crossed her arms, her lower lip sticking out in a small pout.

Ms. Shirona's smile widened. "He'll be your tutor for history!"

Paul stayed silent.

Dawn's jaw literally dropped! "What? Why _him? _He hates me!" She complained, letting her arms drop to her side.

"Don't be silly, Dawn. Paul doesn't hate you!" Ms. Shirona rolled her dark colored eyes. "And I chose him to be your tutor because he currently has the highest grade in the class."

"But he has been here for not even two months!" Dawn exclaimed desperately. "He missed out on two projects before coming here!"

"True, but he got the highest grade on the last project and had passed all my tests with a one-hundred percent," Ms. Shirona began to reason. "And he had a perfect grade at his last school in History too. So it's final, Paul's going to be your history tutor!"

"Doesn't Paul have a say in this?" Dawn asked, her eyes wide and pleading. "He won't want to tutor me! Right, Paul? Right?"

"Actually…" The plum hair man began. "If Ms. Shirona wants me to, then I will tutor you." He smirked at the jaw drop from Dawn he got in response.

"Thank you, Mr. Shinji." Ms. Shirona said with another charming smile. "You two are now dismissed."

Dawn was still in shock as she trudged zombie-like out the door. She quickly snapped out of her shocked trance though as soon as Paul walked by. The musky aroma of some cologne he was wearing filled Dawn's nose.

Mm, he smells good. Dawn thought randomly, a small smile playing on her lips.

Wait! What am I thinking? She scolded herself. The smile was wiped off her face, her eyebrows furrowing together in a frown.

"Hey!" Dawn ran towards Paul, stopping about a foot or two away as he turned around to face her, his face expressionless.

"What?"

Dawn's frown deepened. "How come you agreed to tutor me? You can't really want to tutor me… do you?"

Paul shrugged, turning back around. "It doesn't make a difference to me. Besides, you're flunking history aren't you? And I'm just tutoring you until you get your grade back up."

Dawn huffed. "I just have a D… I don't have an F…yet." She sighed, admitting grudgingly to herself that Paul could be a pretty good tutor for her. "Well, since you're now 'tutoring' me in history, when and where should we meet so you can tutor me?"

Paul was silent for a moment as he thought this question over. "My house," He stated simply. "And you can meet at five o'clock every Monday and Friday. And if we need to, we can meet every Wednesday too."

"Hm… well, I have Cheerleading practice in the morning, so that doesn't interfere with my schedule… And the dances are usually held on Tuesdays or Thursdays…" Unless, the dances, unfortunately, get rescheduled. Then it's usually on a Friday. "That play in drama that I'm in is going to be held on a Thursday night, so… Alright!" she agreed finally, smiling brightly. "Mondays, Fridays and maybe Wednesdays it is then!"

"Good." He grunted.

There was silence now as Dawn awkwardly hugged her school books while Paul leaned against a wall, cherishing the silence while it was still there.

"So…are you going to the dance tonight?" Dawn questioned.

"No. I don't like dances."

Dawn frowned. "Why not?" she questioned. "The dances are fun. They have a lot of delicious food and they play good music… unless you don't like rock, pop or hip-hop…?"

"Do I look like the partying kind of guy?" Paul retorted.

"Kind of," Dawn shrugged, giggling. "Well, in that case… see you Monday I guess… Unless you decide to go the dance afterwards…"

"Doubt it." Paul muttered.

"Bye then," Dawn called, waving as she ran to her pink sport car, a gift from her mother that she got for her sixteenth birthday.

A month had passed since Paul started attending Platinum High School…

Despite it being the middle of March, the Valentine's Day dance, or the Sweetheart Ball, _hadn't_ come and gone. A rainstorm which had been predicted a few days before the dance, but not taken seriously considering the weather forecast was usually wrong, had came and brought nothing but ferocious winds and pounding rain that had led to school being canceled along with the dance.

So, of course, the dance had to be rescheduled. This time the dance was scheduled for a Friday night which _wasn't_ a school night, meaning they could stay up late and dance until their feet felt ready to fall off. Everybody is actually more excited for this rescheduled dance then the first dance just for this simple reason.

Adrenaline was already present all throughout Dawn's body, and she fidgeted with excitement, even as she got her simple blue tresses transformed into gorgeous blue ringlets that framed her angular face.

After leaving the beauty salon, her warm curls beautifully cascading pass her shoulders, she headed home to apply her own make up. While Dawn didn't mind getting her hair done, she preferred doing her own makeup.

Carefully, Dawn darkened her eyelashes with mascara which made her vibrant ocean blue eyes pop even more against her pale skin. Next she applied some very light rose pink eye shadow around her eyes, then dabbed some glitter below her eyes. Lastly, she brushed her cheekbones with a coral colored blush.

As careful as she could, not wanting to disturb or mess up her beautifully done hair, she climbed out of the clothes she was wearing to school that day to place on a long royal blue empire-waist dress that reached to her ankles, strapless with pretty little jewels around the waist area. The dress hugged her curves and thighs perfectly. The dress rippled with every movement she made. Dawn replaced her usual D-shaped diamond necklace for a sapphire necklace with a silver chain.

After slipping into some rhinestone t-strap high heels and grabbing her small silver purse, she was ready for the dance.

And just in time.

The dance was about to start in ten minutes.

"Mom! I'm ready!"

Dawn smiled as she spotted all her friends waiting outside for her, all of them looking great of course. Together, all of them walked into the already crowded room, chatting cheerfully to one another.

The party had just begun.

* * *

Loud music blasted from stereos and greeted the girls' ears as they walked in. A song by Pink was playing, and everybody was dancing to it. Misty cheered instantly, fire already playing in her sea green eyes.

"I love this song!" Misty declared, pumping her fist in the air.

This exclamation got the attention of some of the dancers nearby and they stopped instantly to stare at the six glam-up girls. Dawn's cheeks warmed as boys, like usual, began to compliment her. She returned the kind remarks with a charming smile and a small "thank you".

"Lets dance," Dawn suggested, moving deeper into the crowd where she would become less noticeable.

Misty, being the party animal of the group, was already swaying her hips and throwing her arms in the air, dancing as if the music controlled her. May giggled, her and Marina mirroring Misty's movements while adding a spin of their own to the dance. Zoey backed up to until her back touched the wall, silently watching the girls dance while being the type who didn't like to dance.

"_I'm not here for your entertainment," _The stereos boomed. _"You don't really want to mess with me tonight!" _

"Let's dance Leaf!" Dawn laughed, twirling in her royal blue dress. Leaf did the same, her long apple green dress spinning with her. The two girls bumped hips, laughing.

"_You're in the corner with your boys, you bet 'em five bucks. You'd get the girl that just walked in but she thinks you suck!" _

"We didn't get all dressed up just for you to see!" Dawn and Leaf sang along, laughing. "So quit spillin' your drinks on me, yeaaah!"

_Riiiiing!_

"Can you get the door for me, Paul? I'm busy right now!" Reggie called from the kitchen, peeking his head out.

Paul huffed under his breath, reluctantly getting up from his place on the couch to answer the door. Who the hell could be at the door, anyway? Paul grumbled in his mind, opening the door a crack.

"Hey Paul!" A grinning Ash greeted him, pushing the door open fully and inviting himself in.

The messy-haired boy was wearing a white dress shirt with a black jacket and matching black trousers. A red tie hung loosely from his neck over the white shirt. Obviously he was going to the dance tonight.

"Hey, aren't you ready yet?" Ash asked, a frown beginning to form.

"Read for what? The dance?" Paul replied. "I'm not going."

"You're not?" Reggie's voice trailed from the kitchen in perfect unison to Ash's. Reggie peek his head out of the kitchen, his frown matching Ash's.

"But I bought you a ticket for the dance," Ash responded in childish whine. He held two dance tickets in front of him for proof.

Paul raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean you're not going?" Reggie asked, folding his arms in front of his chest as he exited from the kitchen, frowning at Paul.

"What do you think I mean?" Paul snapped, beginning to grow impatient.

"C'mon Paul, you should go to the dance!" Reggie told him. "Ash already bought you a ticket and you could easily change into formal clothes. You should go."

"I don't _want_ to go," Paul replied.

"Paul…" Reggie's voice grew stern and so did his eyes.

Paul sighed in frustration. He did not like to argue with his brother, but he _really_ didn't like going to dances. They were awkward, and all he ever did at dances was stand in a corner, wishing for it to end.

"Just go the dance, Paul," Reggie said. "It won't kill you to go to _one_ dance."

He could argue with his brother about this, or he could just say 'fine' and go to the stupid dance. Paul, not the biggest fan at arguing with his older knuckle-head brother, decided just to go along with the second choice.

"Fine," Paul grumbled. "I'll go to the _stupid_ dance."

Reggie smiled in satisfaction. "Good! I'll go get you some clothes to wear for the dance now!"

"Would you like to dance, Dawn?" Ricky, a boy from her math class, asked her kindly, offering her his hand. Dawn smiled at him kindly, but shook her head.

"I would love to," she said. "But I'm beat right now. Ask me when a slow song is playing and maybe I'll feel up to dancing again?"

His shoulders sagged slightly in disappointment, but he grinned to cover it up. "Sure! Sounds fine to me," he replied, walking away.

Dawn released a breath of air she was holding, glancing around the ballroom. The dance had probably been going on for only half an hour and already she was getting tired from all the dancing. A few boys have asked her to dance already, and she danced with some of them to a fast song. She was enjoying herself dancing, but it felt nice to be isolated to a wall for a few moments, getting a few minutes in to think and breathe.

"Wow, all that dancing you were doing was intense," Zoey commented, chuckling. "Tired yet?"

"You bet!" Dawn laughed, sweat dropping. "But no need to worry! I'll be back to dancing soon enough! My feet are just taking a break from my high heels."

"Want to go to the bathroom?" Zoey questioned. "We can fix our hair."

"Good idea," Dawn mumbled, running a hand through her blue locks. The two entered the bathroom together, checking their hair and makeup in the mirror. While Dawn was at it, she reapplied a fresh coat of strawberry flavored lip gloss.

Dawn smiled as she turned to face Zoey.

"You look so pretty in that dress," Dawn gushed. Zoey flushed at this remark. The tomboy wore a tangerine colored dress with a V-shaped neckline and a white waistband that went right below her neck. "Have any boys asked you to dance yet?"

"A few…" she admitted. "I turned them all down though. I don't like dancing."

"You should say yes though if Kenny asks you," Dawn told her, running a hand through her hair one last time before exiting the bathroom. "It's so obvious you're crushing on him."

"Like you're one to talk," Zoey replied back. "You flirt with practically every guy you talk to!"

"I do not!" Dawn defended.

"Um, yeah, you do." Zoey responded, rolling her eyes.

"Do not," Dawn mumbled. "At least, I don't realize I'm flirting all the time…" Dawn frowned as she said this.

"And you're one to talk about obvious," Zoey teased. "Especially when you couldn't be more obvious with your crush on—"

"Paul!" Dawn exclaimed. "I thought he wasn't going to the dance!" Dawn's gaze darkened as she said this. "He lied to me!"

"Or maybe he just decided to go as a last minute decision?" Zoey suggested, shrugging. "He doesn't look happy to be here…"

"Hm, you're right…" Dawn muttered. "I'll go say hi!"

The blunette glided pass Zoey to greet the solemn plum-haired man leaning with his arms crossed against the wall. Dawn took a moment to run her fingers through her blue ringlets, brushing her bangs off to the side and then smooth her long dress before approaching Paul. She smiled at him, showing off her dimples. She had one hand on her hip.

"I thought you weren't coming to the dance," Her voice came out teasing with a hint of smugness to it.

Paul shrugged. "My brother wanted me to go," he replied simply.

"Ah…" Dawn nodded. She started to twist her hair around her finger.

In the silence that followed, Paul took the moment to scan the blunette. She wore a perfectly fitted dress that hugged and complimented her curves, majestic blue ringlets cascading pass her shoulder, and wore makeup that made her eyes pop. It was so obvious she made sure every detail – from the dress to the makeup – was perfect, that for a moment he felt guilty.

Even though Paul didn't admit it (out loud anyway), she did look very pretty tonight, beautiful even. But then again, she was naturally pretty to begin with anyway. Paul couldn't really deny that fact, but he was never affected by girls to begin with anyway, no matter how pretty they were.

A slow song began playing.

"Wanna dance?" she smiled playfully at him, holding her hand out.

"_This will be the day, that you will hear me say,  
__That I will never run away"_

"Shouldn't it be me asking you to dance?" Paul replied back.

"Then ask me to dance," she responded coolly back. "Unless you don't want to dance."

Paul rolled his eyes, but even so he held out one hand. "Want to dance?" he grumbled. Dawn smiled in response, giggling.

She placed her hand in his, where he then he led her to the middle of the dance floor. Other couples were already slow-dancing to the song, the boys with their arms wrapped around the girl's waist and the girls resting their head on the guy's shoulder. Misty and Ash, and Marina and Jimmy were two of those couples in a pose very similar to this.

"_I am here for you, love is meant for two  
__Now tell me what you're gonna do"_

"I love this song…" Dawn commented casually, staring pass his shoulders, eyes thoughtful.

Paul said nothing in response.

Together the two swayed, their chests touching, his hand on her hips and her arms around his neck. Instead of speaking they chose to listen to the song's lyrics, setting a very tranquil atmosphere around the two.

"_If I gave you diamonds and pearls  
__Would you be a happy boy or girl  
__If I could I would give you the world  
__But all I can do is offer you my love"_

"So, what kind of music do you like?" Dawn questioned casually, trying to make some conversation between her and Paul. Paul looked down at her, an eyebrow quirked.

"All kinds," he replied simply before turning his head away from her again.

"What kind of pokémon do you have?" she asked next. "I heard from Ash you have a torterra and a magmortar."

"I have a lot of pokémon," Paul grunted.

"What kinds?"

"Why are you asking so many questions?" Paul responded back, scowling down at her.

"I'm just trying to know you better," she retorted back, a scowl gracing her features. "I hardly know anything about you."

"_Which one of us is right, if we always fight  
__Why can't we just let love decide  
__Am I the weaker man because I understand  
__That love must be the master plan"_

"Whatever you say…" Paul muttered, trying not to roll his eyes.

Dawn frowned at him, but said nothing else, knowing Paul wouldn't say much back. Sighing, she settled for just swaying her laying her head on Paul's chest as they danced to the sweet song.

Out of the corner of her eye she spotted Zoey in her bright orange dress. She was taking pictures of couples – either dancing or posing – for the school yearbook. Zoey wasn't the only one taking pictures for the year book though; she saw Kimberlee who was also a journalist taking pictures too. She was dressed in an ankle-long dress that hugged every curve she possessed and was a deep hue of amethyst purple, the straps tying behind her neck while her long dark brown hair was pulled into a tight bun.

"_If I gave you diamonds and pearls  
__Would you be a happy boy or girl  
__If I could I would give you the world  
__But all I can do is offer you my love"_

"Hey Zoey!" Dawn called, breaking away from Paul for a second. She grinned at her best friend, gesturing for the tomboy to come her way.

"Let's have our yearbook taken for the yearbook!" Dawn suggested, still grinning.

Paul scowled, but he said nothing in protest.

Zoey slowly made her way over to them, taking a few snapshots of dancing couples on the way, smiling knowingly at Dawn as she stopped in front of the two.

"Let me guess, you want your picture taken?" Zoey guessed, aiming the question towards Dawn. The blunette nodded eagerly.

"It'll be fun!" she exclaimed energetically.

Zoey rolled her eyes, grinning as she held up her camera.

"Well…dance!" she exclaimed, laughing.

Immediately, Dawn wrapped her arms back around Paul's neck, snuggling into his chest. She felt Paul's hands on her hips once more as they began to dance to the song once more.

_Snap!_

"_D to the I to the A to the M  
__O to the N to the D to the pearls of love  
__D to the I to the A to the M  
__O to the N to the D to the pearls of love"_

"Can I get a picture of you two not dancing?" Zoey questioned. "Just put an arm around her waist, Paul. Move closer to him, Dawn. Smile big! You too, Paul."

_Or don't smile at all, okay, I'll deal with that…_ Zoey thought to herself, rolling her eyes.

_Click!_

A few more shots later…

_Click! Click! Click!_

The song had just ended when Zoey finished taking the pictures.

"Okay, I think that's enough shots of you two," Zoey informed. "I'm going to go take a few pictures of Marina and Jimmy now, okay, Dawn? Have fun now."

"Thanks Zoey," Dawn thanked the red-head.

She smiled cheerfully, then turned back to Paul who was heading for the exit.

"Need some air?" she guessed, heading after him. Cold air blasted them in the face as they exited the hot and crowded room, the wind tugging gently on her blue ringlets.

Paul shrugged. "All the people in there were just starting to get on my nerves," he muttered. He walked over to the stairs and sat on the first step, gazing up at the twinkling stars overhead.

Dawn frowned. "Was I getting on your nerve?"

Paul glanced over at her through the corner of his eyes before replying, "Not as much."

Dawn's forehead wrinkled slightly in annoyance before shrugging the comment off. She walked over to the stairs too and sat down next to Paul, smoothing down her dress.

"Isn't it just beautiful out at night?" Dawn whispered, resting her chin in her hands as she watched the gold and silver glittering stars. "It's so nice out at night… so peaceful…"

"It would be even more peaceful if you would shut up for a minute…" Paul grumbled.

Dawn's hair slapped her back as her head turned sharply to glare at him.

"Right when I was starting to think you and your attitude were somewhat tolerable," Dawn snorted.

"Like you're one to talk," Paul scoffed back. "You can hardly keep your mouth shut for one moment. Not to mention your know-it-all, little Miss Perfect attitude."

"Hey!" she shrieked back, bolting straight and crossing her across her chest. She glared down at him, a small pout formed on her lips.

Paul sighed, a scowl crossing his face.

"Would you not scream so loud?" he hissed.

"I'll do what I want!" she huffed, sitting back down. A scowl was also painted across her face as she glared upwards at the sky, angry words storming her mind as she seethed about Paul and his irritable attitude.

Clouds drifted away from the half-moon, showering them in a milky moonlight that enveloped both of them, kissing their skin. After a while Dawn felt much calmer than she did before, and she found herself glancing at Paul.

The moonlight washed over him, his onyx colored eyes gazing peacefully up at the night sky. The light wind blew at his plum colored bangs and the collar to the white dress shirt he wore. Dawn cold feel her lip twitching, wanting to pull up into a small smile.

It was the first time since she saw him at the dance that she really saw what he was wearing which was a white dress shirt with black pants. The sleeves to his shirt were rolled up to his elbows, and two thin black straps were blown in the wind, his tie just hanging loosely around his neck.

He looks so cute and peaceful right now… Dawn found herself thinking. She was slightly surprised by this thought, but not too much. Somehow her thoughts always had a way of surprised her.

If only he wasn't so rude all the time, Dawn grumbled to herself.

A flash that streaked across the starry sky caught Dawn's eye.

"A shooting star!" she gasped, standing up.

I have to make a wish, quick! Dawn told herself, frantically thinking of something to wish about. An idea of what to wish about came to her. She clasped at her heart and took a deep breath.

_I wish Paul would be more…_

She stopped suddenly, guilt starting to prickle her. She was about to wish Paul would be more considerate. She shook her head, and started a new wish.

_I wish everybody would stop thinking I'm so perfect… I wish they would stop treating me like I'm perfect, when I'm not. _

If only they could see my flaws and accept them, Dawn thought.

Dawn ears perked up as she heard a familiar song—a favorite of hers—drifting from the auditorium as someone opened the door. Dawn immediately forgot her previous thoughts and she grinned.

"Wanna go back inside and dance some more?" she questioned eagerly, turning towards him.

Paul looked reluctant at first, but then he nodded.

"Alright…"

"_Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down?  
__Down, down  
__Even if the sky is falling down?  
__Down, down"_

After about an hour and a half of mingling with friends, drinking punch, eating some nachos and a brownie, drinking a soda, tripping and accidentally tearing down some streamers that decorated the auditorium, and mingling with more friends, May finally sat alone in the corner of the room, a jealous pout painted on her lips.

Her arms were crossed moodily across her scarlet knee-length dress with sleeves that hung off her shoulders and showed off her collarbone. She slumped against the wall, jealously watching Dawn and Paul dancing to the song "Down" on the dance floor.

"Having fun?" Misty called, walking over to her. The brunette spared the ginger-haired girl once glance then continued watching Dawn and Paul.

"Not that much…" May sniffed.

"Why are you glaring at Dawn and Paul?" She queried, raising an eyebrow.

"I'm not glaring at them!" May snapped. "And before you say anything, no, I'm not jealous that Dawn is dancing with some guy while Drew won't spare me one freaking glance!"

Both Misty's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Wow, May… and I thought Drew got green with envy!" she laughed, cracking up at her joke.

"It's not funny!" May insisted, her hands balling up into fists on her side. "It's so unfair! Drew is out there having fun, and I'm here in the corner, jealous over my best friend!"

"I'm surprised you're not jealous over Marina and Jimmy, too!" Leaf chimed in, prancing over to the two girls as she overheard their conversation.

"But I am!" May whined, stomping her foot childishly. "They've been dancing this whole night! Every time I look at them they are making lovey-dovey faces at each other and acting all mushy with each other! They are either dancing, whispering in other's ears, feeding each other or kissing!"

"Just like you and Drew use to do," Leaf noted.

"Arrrrggh!" May growled, tearing at her long brunette locks. "Don't mention that! Those days are long over, and I do not want to be reminded of them!"

Leaf frowned. "But—"

"No buts!" May huffed, crossing her arms again.

Misty rolled her eyes, and Leaf's frown deepened.

"Thinking of cabbage head," Misty drawled, lazily examining her fingernails while narrowing her eyes meaningfully at May, "Here he comes now."

May's eyes brightened for a few moments, hope that Drew was coming over to ask her to dance, or even better, to beg for _her_ back, ringing in her sapphire colored eyes. That second of hope diminished in a few seconds though when she spotted his smug smirk, and saw him do his annoying (but quite adorable, she admitted) hair flick.

"Having fun, May?" Drew asked quite smugly.

Annoyance flickered across her face, but mainly because Misty had asked the same thing pretty much just a few minutes before.

"Yes, I am having a good time, Drew," May responded back, straightening her posture and putting on a bright smile to make her words seem true. "A better time than I would ever have with you, anyway," she added pointedly.

"Keep telling yourself that May," Drew replied back, walking pass her. "Maybe when day you'll believe it…"

"Hey!" May shrieked in defense. "Are you saying I'm lying?"

"I said no such thing," A playful smirk graced Drew's handsome face. May's face only reddened in anger.

"Are you _implying_ that I can't have fun or something? Are you saying I'm boring or something?" May seethed, glaring through slit eyes at the chartreuse-haired teen.

"Not the least," Drew told her, handsome smirk crawling farther up his face, making his emerald green eyes sparkle. He shrugged carelessly, letting his eyes flicker closed. "I'm just saying you're not fooling anybody May…"

"AHA! So you _are_ saying I'm lying," she yelled, pointing a finger at him. "I knew it! You stuck-up cabbage head!"

"Don't kids who are in _kindergarten_ call other people by nicknames?" Drew hissed, now glaring at the brunette.

"Gee, what's with all the racket?" Gary muttered, walking over with Ash on his side. "I can hear you two from the other side of the room!"

"He started it!" May declared, pointing at Drew with her lower lip sticking out once more.

"I think they're flirting again," Ash commented quietly to Gary so the two exes wouldn't hear. Gary nodded in agreement.

Misty stared at Ash, biting her lower lip. In her head she willed Ash to look at her, to smile at her, to come over to her and offer her his hand, to ask her to dance. But he didn't. Instead he made quiet remarks to Gary that they both laughed at.

"Stupid boys…" Misty huffed quietly under her breath.

Why must boys like Ash and Drew be so stupid? A girl spends like two months obsessing over one dance, looking for the perfect dress, and then perfecting their makeup and hair on the night of dance and the boy doesn't even notice the girl!

While Ash and Gary were still talking to each other about something, Misty took this opportunity to go through her purse and pull out her mirror, smoothing down her hair and fixing any glitch in her make up.

"Humph! Why must Drew be so cocky?" May muttered under her breath from beside Misty, still glaring at the arrogant teenage boy.

"Why are any boys cocky?" Misty answered back, "Because they like you and they are trying to impress you, that's why."

"Well, Drew isn't impressing me with his attitude…" she mumbled. Leaf giggled at this remark.

"Hey, Mist!" Ash greeted, finally taking notice of the carrot top who have been _dying_ for his attention all night.

His eyes trailed from her sea green eyes and neatly curled ginger hair placed in an elegant bun down the rest of her figure. His eyes trailed down her strapless sky blue dress that had a wide darker blue belt with a large bow in the front placed right under her chest. Her dress only reached to her thigh, showing off the toned, athletic legs she gained from all the sports she was in (cross-country, volleyball, swimming…although this year she retired to only one sport, which was swimming) and finally, Ash's gaze trailed down to the clear peep-toes she wore and then back to her face again.

A light blush was visible on his cheeks.

"Wanna dance?" he asked cheerfully, offering her his hand. Misty smiled in appreciation.

"Sure!" she agreed, gladly taking his hand.

"Down" was almost done playing, but they could still dance afterwards, despite whether the song was slow or not.

Drew yawned, peering at May from the corner of his eyes as he did so.

"Well, I would love to hang around some more, May," Drew started in that familiar smug voice. "But I'm starting to get bored hanging in the _corner_ with you, when I could be dancing with someone right now." Shoving his hands in his pockets, Drew walked away.

May gawked after him with wide, shocked eyes. Her hands were on her hops and that pout was back on her lips. May released an angry breath, her surprise-filled eyes transitioning into angry slits.

"Oh, _youuu!_" she hissed under her breath, marching right after him.

Leaf frowned as she realized everybody she was previously with had left, leaving her alone in the corner by herself with nothing but her thoughts—well, actually, that wasn't completely true; Gary was also with her, but still.

"So I guess its just you and me now," Gary flirted, a sexy but charming smirk sliding over his face. Pink tinted Leaf's cheeks at this comment, but she crossed her arms and looked away, trying her best not to get or look flustered.

"Aw, don't be that way," Gary said, putting a hand on her creamy ivory-colored shoulder that was bare except for the thin spaghetti straps that held up the long apple green dress she wore that reached to her ankles.

Leaf had chosen the apple-colored dress because it was long and she recalled reading in a magazine somewhere (—_it was Teen GLAMeow Magazine, she believed_—) that long dresses draped perfectly over curves and made petite girls like herself look taller (—_and being only five-foot-two, Leaf didn't mind the thought of appearing taller than she was_). And of course, the dress was green, Leaf's favorite color ever.

Leaf's heart pounded at Gary's simple touch, and she turned to face him, one cheek puffed out, and glared.

"What do you want Gary?" she questioned suspiciously, placing both hands on her hips. Her long brunette hair fell pass her shoulder, her bangs starting to fall into her eyes.

Gary smirked; he could feel the heat radiating off Leaf's face as he brushed her bangs away from her face, and neatly tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. Leaf's glared on him hardened, and stubbornly, she crossed her arms.

"All I want is one dance," he replied simply, his smoldering dark eyes gazing into her own eyes, making Leaf fidget uncomfortably.

"The song is almost over," she mumbled, deliberating turning her face away.

"So?" Gary shrugged. "The song was almost over when Ash asked Misty, and she still said yes."

"Still!" Leaf insisted, about to turn away.

Gary's eyes flickered in annoyance, and a scowl began to wrinkle his previously smooth face. "Don't tell me you're afraid to dance," he griped, crossing his arm.

"I'm not afraid to dance!" she yelled back, shooting one last glare over her shoulder before stomping away. Gary's next comment though stopped her in her tracks.

"Well, at least from here I have a nice view of your butt," Gary remarked, his smirk returning.

Leaf was silent, and then…

"YOU FREAKING PERV—" Unfortunately for Leaf, as she spun around to angrily confront Gary on his perverted remark, her high and t-strapped silver-colored heels got caught in her dress, resulting in her…

Falling.

On top of Gary.

CRASH!

Leaf's head throbbed as her head made contact with a stone-hard chest, and her vision turned black for a second before transitioning into a colorful blur, and eventually, clearing so she was able to properly make out color and shapes.

"What the…?" she groaned, holding her head as she steadied her vision. She grimaced as her attempted to stand up, only to have her heel—AGAIN!—get caught in her long dress.

"_Oof!"_

"Arceus, Leaf!" A voice cursed from under her, and Leaf blinked, recognizing Gary's voice.

"I didn't know you wanted me _this_ badly…" he grumbled, rubbing his head.

Leaf glared back at him in response. "Keep dreaming, perv!" she snapped, pushing herself off of him. She "_humph!_"ed as she stood up and kicked off her _blasted_ high heels and walked away, stranding the heels she once adored the moment she saw them in a store at the mall.

"Girls…" Gary sighed, rolling his eyes.

"_Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down?  
__Down, down  
__Even if the sky is falling down?  
__Down, down"_

Dawn smiled, contentment shown clearly on her face, as she intertwined her fingers with Paul's once more and he led her inside, opening the door for her.

For a guy who could be quite a rude jerk at time, he could also be quite a gentlemen.

He led her to the dance floor where they once more took up their dancing positions, but feeling more comfortable which each other this time, their bodies were much closer to each other. Paul's chest pressed against hers, his arms wrapped around her waist as he guided her with the dance. Smiling to herself, she rested her head on Paul's chest, her arms wrapped around his neck.

Other couples were also dancing formally together, their bodies swaying with each other while they gazed lovingly into each other's eyes. She realized most of the dancing couples beside them were real couples at their school—boyfriends and girlfriends dancing together to the beat of the song. One of the couples she saw as Jimmy—dressed in a formal black tux—and Marina—wearing a knee-length white halter dress that glittered and sparkled in the techno-colored disco ball.

Dawn's eyes lingered on Jimmy and Marina for a few moments, lifting her head up from Paul's chest to watch them.

Jimmy and Marina were the class couple—the perfect couple. They have been going out since the start of eighth grade and haven't broken up once since. Jimmy was fun, adventurous and caring; Marina was spunky, artistic and plain adorable with her nicknames for her pokémon. They were the only couple from middle school who were still together, and everybody thought they were adorable together. Come senior year, those two would surely be nominated for Class Couple (and they would win, no doubt).

Dawn couldn't help but feel a prickle of sadness and jealousy at this thought.

Sure, in eighth grade she won for having the prettiest eyes. Sure, in eighth grade she won for nicest smile, and sure in eighth grade she somehow won for being the most artistic. And heck, she would probably win those awards again and maybe even more when she was a senior, but she knew for certain she wouldn't ever be half of the 'Class Couple'.

She had never had a boyfriend in her life—an official boyfriend, anyway. Sure, at least ten different boys asked her out every year, not to mention a few boys who persisted her for a date at least once every year since middle school. Sure, she went on dates with a few of them, but she never really considered them a "boyfriend".

All she did was go on a few dates with them for a couple of week; have fun, smile, laugh and tell them she had a great time. She never felt that certain spark she always dreamed of with any of them though. Honestly, she haven't even had a first kiss yet; the only lip contact she did with those guys was when she gave them a peck on the cheek in thanks for the great date.

After realizing they weren't the one she always dreamed of, she just apologized and broke up with them using the kindest words she could think of.

Dawn frowned as she thought of this.

In eighth grade, she also won the section in the yearbook labeled 'Most Likely to Break Your Heart'.

Hadn't she gotten after Paul around a month ago for breaking up with Tess after only a few dates? She did the same thing pretty much.

_But it's still different, _she told herself sternly. He broke up with them coldly, knowing it probably wasn't going to go anywhere. She, however, was actually hoping for something out of the relationship, and only ended it after realizing that she wasn't going to get.

Dawn released a light breath of air in a small sigh.

Wait, how would I know what his intentions were when went out with Tess and then ended it? Dawn's frowned deepened at this, feeling slightly annoyed.

I need to stop overanalyzing everything, Dawn thought to herself.

"What's with you?" Dawn looked up in a start, surprise to hear _Paul_ talking to _her_. "You're being pretty quiet compared to how you usually are…"

"_So baby, don't worry  
__You are my only  
__You won't be lonely  
__Even if the sky is falling down  
__You'll be my only  
__No need to worry"_

"No need to worry," she reassured just as the exact same lyrics from the song was sang. Paul couldn't help but chuckle at this. Heat began to creep into Dawn's cheeks at this, and then mumbled, "I was just thinking about something…"

"_Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down?  
__Down, down  
__Baby, are you down, down, down, down, down?  
__Down, down  
__Even if the sky is falling down?"_

Paul remained silent and so did Dawn as she laid her head back on Paul's hard chest. Pursing her lips together, Dawn sang along to the song in her head, feeling once more at peace. Dawn took a deep breath, inhaling Paul's scent as she did.

Dark. Musky. Mysterious.

_Sexy._

Unconsciously, Dawn breathed in again.

Paul's cologne flooded her taste, the pungent, spicy, irresistible scent clouding her senses. The smell was beginning to make her throat go dry, but she didn't mind; she loved the smell too much to mind.

"You smell good," she whispered, her voice husky.

"Hn," he grunted in reply.

I wonder if I smell good to him, Dawn wondered suddenly. Immediately, she started feeling self-conscious. She pulled away a little bit, making Paul raise an eyebrow. She smiled in response, turning her head a few degrees before pretending to brush a strand of blue hair behind her ear while actually smelling it.

Vanilla.

She remembered right before she left she had spritzed on some sugary-vanilla scented perfume all over herself. She loved vanilla. It smelled so good to her, and apparently guys were suppose to like the smell of vanilla too.

"_Down like she 'posed to be  
__She gets down low for me  
__Down like her temperature  
_'_Cause to me she zero degrees_

"_She cold, over freeze  
__I got that girl from overseas  
__Now she's my Miss America  
__Now can I be her soldier, please?_

"_I'm fightin' for this girl  
__On the battlefield of love  
__Don't it look like baby cupid  
__Sent her arrows from above?  
__Don't you ever leave the side of me  
__Indefinitely, not probably  
__And honestly, I'm down like the economy"_

Dawn and Paul were back in their dancing positions, their bodies swaying to the music. Their bodies were pressed so closed together as they danced, Dawn could feel Paul's heat as her own… not that she minded a bit.

Dawn couldn't stop a grin from forming on her face as she saw Ash and Misty dancing together from behind her and Paul. Misty was gazing up at Ash confidently, an infatuated look in her sea green eyes. There was a pale blush painted on her cheeks as Ash smiled down at her, leading her in the dance. Dawn's heart fluttered in excitement for her friend.

Aah.

She was such a hopeless romantic.

"What are you squealing about?"

Dawn blinked. She hadn't realized she had _"awww"_ed out loud. Dawn sweat dropped at this, but smiled nonetheless.

"Nothing," she giggled.

"_Baby, don't worry  
__You are my only  
__You won't be lonely  
__Even if the sky is falling down  
__You'll be my only  
__No need to worry"_

"You are weird," he intoned.

Rather than get offended like she usually did after an insult, she just smiled.

"Thanks for the compliment," she responded cheerfully back, not the least bit offended.

Was that a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips? Dawn wondered, her smile broadening. She rested her head on Paul's chest again, feeling satisfied as the musky cologne he wore flooded her senses once more. She couldn't help but wish the world would stop at this particular moment so she could cherish in this moment and her feelings.

How did she feel?

Content… Warm… There was a tingling she was feeling in her chest that she couldn't explain, but even so she didn't mind the tingling.

For some reason her heart sped up when Paul buried his head slightly in her hair, inhaling softly. Maybe her heart speeding faster was just her imagination.

The two were so caught up in the dance they didn't even notice the _click!_ or the flash from Zoey's camera as she took another quick picture of the two.

The song ended, followed by another slow song.

The two pulled apart for a few moments, and were about to take up the same dancing stance as before but were interrupted as Dawn felt a tap on her shoulder.

"Huh?"

"Hi," Conway greeted, pushing his glasses up. "I was hoping for a dance with you, Dawn," he told her. "That is… if you and Paul don't mind."

"Oh… I don't mind," Dawn said in a quiet voice. She turned to Paul, quietly hoping he would shake his head and continue dancing with her.

Paul shrugged, an unreadable expression on his face.

"Go ahead," he grumbled, turning away.

Dawn couldn't hide a small disappointed frown from forming on her face as she watched his back disappear into the crowd. Within seconds though the frown was off her face and she smiled brightly up at Conway, trying to seem enthusiastic.

"Well, lets dance then." she said.

For some reason Paul felt annoyed when Conway came up to ask Dawn permission to dance with her.

It's not because I wanted to dance with her some more, Paul told himself. It's just because he asked.

_Then why are you annoyed he asked her? _A voice deep inside him asked.

Go away, he willed the voice, shaking his head.

He watched the two dance. The two were in a similar pose they had been in when they were dancing, except Dawn kept her head up this time and was chatting merrily to Conway. Her eyes were bright, portraying just how much energy she had as she talked. She laughed loudly at something Conway said and then started talking some more.

What was this burning in his chest?

Doesn't matter, Paul decided. He turned his eyes away from the dancing couple, checking his watch. It was almost eleven o'clock already. The dance would probably be ending soon anyway.

He wasn't going to waste the rest of his time being jealous—err, standing in a corner and do nothing but watching Dawn and Conway dance.

"Yo, Paul!" Gary called. The plum-haired man sighed, rolling his eyes as he walked, hand shoved in pockets, over to the snack table where Gary and Drew were standing.

Dawn was surprised when her cell phone read eleven o'clock when she checked it.

"Shoot!" Dawn pushed her way through the crowd, apologizing to some as she made her way outside, already dialing her mom's cell phone number. The loud party music followed her outside and she had to cover her ear with one hand as she listened to her cell phone with the other.

Dawn was surprised when the phone started making continuous beeping sounds rather than the long and loud drawl of a ring. She realized the other line was busy.

"Who could my mom be talking to at this hour?" Dawn grumbled, glaring at her cell phone.

"Great…" Dawn sighed.

She had promised her mom she would be ready to go home at eleven o'clock, and her mom was busy talking to somebody! Her mom wanted her home at eleven didn't she? Then why was she talking to somebody else on the phone instead of picking her up?

"Oh, she probably thinks I'll find some guy to bring me home!" Dawn snorted, rolling her eyes as she slumped against the wall.

"Do you need a ride home?"

Dawn jumped at the voice, holding her heart as she whipped around to face who was speaking.

"Paul!" she exclaimed. "You scared me!"

Paul shrugged. "Do you need a ride home?" he asked again, approaching her until he stood a foot away from her.

"Well…" She bit her tongue thoughtfully, a habit of hers. "I guess I do… I told my mom I would be ready to go home at eleven o'clock and she's on the phone." An annoyed frown crossed her face as she said this.

"I can take you home," Paul offered.

Dawn's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really?" she exclaimed, shocked. "It won't be too much of a hassle or anything?"

"It'll give me a reason to go home," Paul replied calmly back. "Not like I want to spend all night at this dance anyway, especially when it was my brother and Ash who forced me to go."

"Oh… okay."

"So do you want the ride or not?" Paul asked, impatience in his voice this time.

"Um, y-yeah," Dawn stuttered, a rosy pink tinting her cheeks. "I—I do want the ride. If you don't mind, I mean."

Paul rolled his eyes.

"Follow me." He ordered, heading towards the parking lot. Still blushing, Dawn scurried after him.

"Mom! I'm home!" Dawn called, announcing her arrival home.

Silence.

"Mom?" Dawn queried, confusion etched on her face.

Her mom should be home… Certainly, she didn't have any place to go at this hour?

"Mom?" Dawn called again, making her way up the marble stairs. Where could my mom possibly be? And what is she doing?

Suddenly, she heard voices upstairs.

"…Twinleaf? …I use to live there with my daughter… Oh, but that was like a decade ago! Now we live in Veilstone…"

Dawn rolled her eyes, suddenly remembering that the phone had been busy when she had called home.

"Figures," Dawn said, heading into her bedroom to take off her make up and to take a shower.

Dawn couldn't help but wonder though…

_Who is mom talking to on the phone?_

* * *

"So have you heard the latest gossip yet, Kim?" Kimberlee brushed a strand of her long mocha brown hair from her face, smoothing down the white buttoned-up t-shirt she was currently wearing. She glanced at her friend through the corner of her eyes.

"What's the latest gossip, Tam?" She asked her long-time friend, Tammy Goodes, who, of course, had her short ink-black hair in two low pigtails and was wearing a short pink sundress despite the chilly weather. The girl immediately launched into all the gossip she had just previously heard, her jade green eyes sparkling as she did.

Kimberlee nodded, taking out a mirror as she brushed pale pink blush on her high-cheek bones. After making sure her makeup and hair was perfect, she put the mirror back in her purple handbag.

"Oh! And you'll never, ever, ever, ever, ever believe the gossip I heard this morning!" Tammy exclaimed with large expressive eyes. "It's about Paul Shinji and Dawn Berlitz!"

Kimberlee froze. She narrowed her eggplant purple eyes at her friend. "Paul Shinji and Dawn Berlitz?" She questioned quietly. "They aren't…dating are they?" She had seen them dance together at the Sweetheart Ball. They did seem pretty close to each other…

"Nuh-uh! No way!" Tammy snorted, waving her hand to dismiss the idea. Kimberlee breathed a sigh of relief, glad that her crush was still single. At the moment anyway.

"Okay! So you know how Lily claims to be Paul's neighbor?" Kimberlee nodded. "Well, apparently yesterday Lily saw Dawn over at Paul's house and—"

"I thought you said Dawn wasn't dating Paul!" Kimberlee wailed in dismay.

"She's not," Tammy reassured, rolling her eyes. "He's just tutoring her! I asked Paul about it today and he said it was just tutoring! That's good news, right?"

Kimberlee sighed in relief, a small smile gracing her lips. "Yeah… at least Paul is still single… I just hope nothing serious happens between the two while she's tutoring her!" She mumbled thoughtfully.

"Mhm!" Tammy agreed.

"Well, I gotta go, Tam; see ya later, 'kay?" Kimberlee stood up, straightening out the short dark gray skirt she wore. "I promised Ms. Rogers I would go interview some students about the dance for the school newspaper."

"Okay. See ya," Tammy waved. Then she called after her, "Don't forget to interview Paul!" Kimberlee flushed in embarrassment, resisting the urge to stick her tongue out at her loud-mouthed friend.

After all, sticking her tongue out at Tammy would be _so_ unprofessional.

_.x._

_He is the pearl gaining attention_  
_Formed around a grain of opportunity_  
_He was quick to walk the road of popularity_  
_He'd make a perfect comparison to his creator_  
_Because really, he is just like an oyster_  
_The pearl's outside exterior is tough_  
_Just like his personality is gruff_  
_And the truth is just so deniable_  
_But maybe inside he's really just vulnerable…_

* * *

**Definition for Pearl: **1. Gem Formed in Mollusk - a small lustrous sphere of calcium carbonate that forms around a grain of sand in an ocean organism such as an oyster; 3. Somebody or Something Much Valued - somebody or something highly esteemed or valued.

**Definition for Oyster: **5. Ucommunicative Person - somebody who does not say much or is secretive. _(slang)_

**I disclaim all songs I mentioned in this chapter (which were "U + Ur Hand" by Pink, "Diamonds and Pearls" by Prince and "Down" by Jay Sean ft. Lil Wayne [and I think that's all?]).**

**I'm pretty pleased with this chapter. :) I added a lot of important things in this chapter (tutoring, shipping development, imporant OC(s) [Kimberlee, Tammy (kind of)] that I wanted to add which makes me happy. Thinking of that, just wanted to add tis will be one of my faster paced stories, just so you know. There's going to be twenty chapters in all though, 'kay?**

**Anyway, thanks for the reviews~ Share the love, feel free to leave more reviews! 8D (Let me know your opinion, what you like, what you don't like, etc.). Also let me know if you see any mistakes! Again, thanks!**


	4. Gold

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **She's the diamond: the beautiful jewel of the school. He's the pearl: his school status is built around his fan girls. Together as a couple they are platinum: malleable, ductile and maybe over time, highly resistant to the heat around them. Ikarishipping!

_**PART ONE**—**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Chapter Four**

"One… two…"

CRASH!

"Try again!" she yelled, trying her best not to sound impatient.

Again.

"One… two…"

"Ow! Hey! That was my foot!" Tammy yelled.

A shoe dropped.

CRASH!

Dawn sighed, shaking her head. "I think that has been enough practice guys," she announced. "Let's try it again later! Let's try to be quicker next time and not fall! Tammy… you should probably try to get some shoes that are a size smaller!"

Dawn sighed for the umpteenth time that morning and turned away, taking a sip out of her water bottle as she watched the cheerleaders walk back to the locker room, muttering to each other.

"Why do we have to get up so early just for cheer practice anyway?" Tammy grumbled, her dark hair in a ponytail for once instead of in pigtails. "Why can't we have cheer practice in the afternoon like every other school probably does."

"Because Miss Cheer Captain says so…" A freshman muttered, shooting a sour glare Dawn's way. Dawn's eyebrows furrowed together, frowning as she placed her hands on her hips.

"We have the cheer practice in the morning because if we can be alert and be full of spirit in the morning, we can be alert and full of spirit anytime!" Dawn declared. "Besides, morning is the best time to practice!"

The freshman girl scoffed. "Says you," she mumbled. "I think you just like torturing us in the morning…"

Dawn glared at the girl, almost tempted to tell the girl to watch it or she would kick her off the squad just to see her reaction, but held her tongue.

Instead, Dawn entered the locker room after the two girls so she could change out of her pink spaghetti-strapped top and short gray sweat shorts with two stripes going down the side which she always wore to cheerleading practice. When Dawn exited the girl's locker room she wore a short pink sundress that reached to her mid-thighs and pink flats, triangular-shaped clips the color of gold in her hair like usual.

Dawn ran her fingers through her long midnight blue locks as she stared at her reflection in the mirror, noticing small black bags beginning to form beneath her eyes. Dawn frowned at herself, tilting her head a few degrees.

She had stayed up all night last night trying to get a head start on this essay that was due in a month. In the end, it was wasted effort; she hadn't thought of a single sentence to write.

The essay was suppose to be comparing someone to a metal or gem and explaining how those two relate to each other. That's why Professor Oak had given them two months to do the project - because they had to do some research on metals and gem too, and then learn more about the person they would be comparing a metal too. He had explained this would be one of their tougher and more difficult assignments. Professor Oak was actually supposed to assign them the partner they would be working with today.

Dawn had been in Professor Oak's class long enough to know she would probably be paired up with either Paul or May, who both sat next to her in that class. The English teacher usually paired students up in his class depending on who they sat next to.

Dawn had stayed up last night based on the theory that she would be paired up with either May or Paul and had gotten nowhere. She had done some research on some metal, but had found none she felt fit either of them.

She promised herself that Thursday night she would do some research on some gems, but not tonight. Tonight she would go to bed early - around 8 o'clock maybe - to make up for the lack of sleep she have been getting.

Taking a step back from the mirror and the girl that stared back at her, Dawn ran her fingers one last time through her hair and then turned away, her footsteps echoing on the tile floor.

Dawn smiled as she walked out of the locker room, her smile transitioning into a grin as she spotted Zoey a few feet away.

"Zo!" she yelled, waving.

Zoey turned her head a few degrees, flashing a small smile in response. Hands in pocket, the tomboy walked over.

"You look tired," Zoey commented. "Cheerleading practice finally getting to you?"

Dawn shook her head. "I was doing some research on metals," Dawn told her. "I did spend an hour or so though trying to come up with a new routine for cheerleading," Dawn admitted. "And thinking of a new appeal for Coordinating class. And then I spent about another hour on Math homework, then half an hour on my Science project which is due in a week…"

Zoey frowned. "Dawn, are you sure you're not… I dunno… pushing yourself too hard with all the classes you are taking?" she questioned.

"Of course I'm not!" Dawn scoffed. "How am I pushing myself too hard just because the teachers are assigning a lot of homework and projects?"

"Let me see your schedule," Zoey said, stopping her.

Dawn was about to protest, then realized protesting would do no good with Zoey. Puffing out a cheek, Dawn searched through her pink shoulder bag, pulling out her schedule for eleventh grade.

Last Name: Berlitz  
First Name: Dawn  
Student #: 1588  
Perm ID#: 1000344423  
Grade: 11

**Veilstone High School**

1. Y. MTWTF. Adv. Coordinator's Class 11 - Melissa, F  
2. Y. MTWTF. Cheerleading - Musashi, J  
3. Y. MTWTF. Studies of Elemental Pokémon Science - Natane, G  
4. Y. MTWTF. Advanced World History on Pokémon - Shirona, C  
5. Y. MTWTF. Student Council - Rowan, E  
6. Y. MTWTF. Pre-Calculus - Waterflower, D  
7. Y. MTWTF. AP English 11 - Oak, S  
8. Y. MTWTF. Advisory/Flex 11 - Waterflower, D

"Dawn…" Zoey drew out her name, and Dawn sighed, knowing a lecture was heading her way. "You're taking four advanced classes: coordinating, English, history and math. Not to mention cheerleading and ASB requires time outside of school, and even coordinating does sometime."

'It's nothing I can't handle," Dawn told her friend, taking the schedule back from her. "I've always been in cheerleading and ASB, and I've always taken that many advanced classes Zoey and still managed to get straight A's."

"You're not getting straight A's this year," Zoey pointed out.

Dawn glared at her best friend, snatching the schedule back from her hand. "I have Paul tutoring me now so I'm going to bring my grade in history up," she growled.

Zoey sighed, knowing there was no getting through to her thick-headed friend.

"It wasn't like this in middle school…" she murmured. "I remember in seventh and grade all of us use to go to the mall and window shop; you, Leaf and May would squeal over every cute dress or boot you saw. Or we would walk down to the lake and go swimming."

Dawn bit her tongue as those memories slowly filled her mind with images and voices. She stared at her pale feet, her body numb somewhat.

"Now you're so busy you can't even go out to get a slice of pizza with us," Zoey continued. "You always have to go to some tumbling class or something."

"I'm sorry Zo," Dawn murmured. "But I just can't blow off all my homework. I wish I had more time to spend with you guys, but I just don't… not now anyway…"

"I understand," Zoey said after a while. "I know you didn't really want to be in cheerleading anyway…"

Dawn nodded.

"Let's go see if we can find everybody else," she suggested. Zoey agreed, following the blunette as they walked to their homeroom.

**000**

Dawn was ready to go home.

Too bad she knew she couldn't go home. She still had one more period to go through, or two more if you counted flex, before school would finally be over with. And even then she wouldn't be able to go home yet because it was a Wednesday which was one of her tutoring days at Paul's house.

Luckily, the only class left was English which wasn't one of her advanced placement classes, and was a subject she was pretty good at naturally anyway being the fan of poetry she was. Fortunately for Dawn, they were learning about poetry this week. Of course, Professor Oak would probably explain more about the essay they had to do before they actually got into the poetry stuff.

Professor Oak passed out a paper to them that explained his expectations for the essay.

"The essay must be a minimum of five paragraphs," Professor explained, reading off the sheet he handed out. "And if you feel really inspired, you may go up to eight paragraphs at the highest. I would prefer you didn't do anymore than that; I don't like grading essays much more than you like doing it. The essay will be worth 500 points, 100 points for every paragraph which means if you do more than five paragraphs you can earn fifty extra credit points for every extra paragraph you do, meaning you can earn up to 650 points total for this essay.

"The essay requires you to mention who you are comparing the metal or gemstone too, the gemstone or metal you are comparing them to, and some traits the metal-slash-gemstone has and how this trait relates to the person you are doing this on. For example, a diamond may relate to somebody because a diamond is a popular gemstone and maybe the person you're doing on is pretty popular in school."

Somebody coughed Dawn's name from behind her and she turned around, glaring at Kenny who waved at her, grinning. Turning back to the teacher, Professor Oak continued.

"Another example would be comparing someone to steel because they are both strong. Steel is a strong alloy of iron and carbon, and maybe this guy is a very strong trainer or is in the wrestling club and is strong physically. See the comparison there? You can even compare trait's the metal has to traits your partner has, for example just like Nickel is corrosion-resistance, your partner may be resistance to drama or something similar.

"You can use symbolism your metal or gemstone has to compare your partner to." Professor Oak continued, "One example would be how gold symbolizes many things, such as strength, wealth, warmth, love, optimism, intelligence, perfection and many things. If your partner is strong emotionally or physically you can use that symbolism to compare her to the matter, or if she comes off as a very loving, optimistic or intelligent person you can also use gold's symbolism of love, optimism and intelligence to compare them to it.

"There's many other ways you can find ways to get the required five paragraphs, but I'll leave the rest up to you on how you compare your partner to the metal or gemstone. I'll be assigning you your partners now."

As Professor Oak walked over to the left side of the room, on the opposite side Dawn was on, to assign partners, Dawn turned to the paper that was on her desk.

**METAL/GEMSTONE COMPARISON ESSAY:**

**Requirements **-

1) The name of your partner  
2) The name of the metal/gemstone you are comparing your partner to.  
3) Traits the metal/gemstone has that relates to your partner's traits/personality/etc.  
4) The essay must be a minimum of 5 paragraphs, but can go up to 8 paragraphs for an extra 50 points for every extra paragraph you do.

**Interview Sheet**-

1. What are some your strengths and weaknesses?

2. How would you describe your personality and yourself as a person?

3. What pokémon would do you think you're most like and why?

…etc.

Dawn stopped reading after number three, looking up as she noticed Professor Oak coming closer to them. Just like she had guessed, Professor Oak was assigning their partners by who they sat by.

Ash was paired with Melody, the most flirtatious girl in class… Marina was paired with Jimmy. Lucky, being paired with her boyfriend. Brandon, this guy with cool white hair, was paired with Anabel, this weird girl who had the amazing ability to comminute telepathically with her pokémon… This one boy was paired with a girl who was next to him… (Professor Oak liked to have one row girls, the other row boys).

From behind her, Zoey was paired with Kenny. Dawn turned around nervously as Professor Oak stood in front of her, and she knew she would be the next one assigned a partner. She looked to her right and saw Paul, and knew immediately he would be her partner.

"Paul Shinji and Dawn Berlitz, you two will be partners," He mumbled, scrawling down their names on a piece of paper. He walked ahead of them to assign the next partners.

In her mind, Dawn sighed, even though she actually was kind of glad it was Paul she had been assigned partners with. Sure, he wasn't her favorite guy to hang around with, but at least with him they wouldn't get too off subject which would happen too often if she was paired with Zoey. Besides, this proved an excellent chance to get to know Paul a lot better.

Dawn turned to Paul, smiling, but then frowned as she saw the faraway look in his gaze. She turned away again, suddenly wondering if he was happy with Professor Oak's decision to make her his partner.

She glanced at him again through the corner of her eyes and saw the distant look in his eyes vanish. She also noticed he was staring at her now, with an almost intense look in his eyes, as if he was trying to read her mind.

Dawn's frown deepened, and something inside her made her heart race and squeeze in a self-conscious matter.

Does my hair look alright? She wondered suddenly, running her fingers through it. Abruptly she stopped, shaking her head.

What am I thinking? She asked herself. Why do I care how I look in front of Paul? I'm just being silly, that's all.

She glanced at Paul again and he was no longer facing her, that distant look in his eyes again along with a hint of… concentration, was it? He looked deep in thought, as if distracted by a thought.

What is Paul thinking of? Dawn wondered.

Well, I'm sure whatever he's thinking of, it has nothing to do with me!

* * *

A light rain had started by the time school was out. The light rain had turned into a heavy downpour by the time they reached Paul's house which was only a few miles away from the school. Dawn was amazed at how quickly the weather could change.

Dawn and Paul had to literally run across his front lawn, and Dawn still ended up feeling soaked to the bone. It didn't help that she had chosen to wear a dress that day instead of decent clothing for cold weather. She was shivering, her hair dripping, when she entered Paul's house.

"Wait here," Paul ordered gruffly, going down his hallway.

Dawn nodded, her teeth chattering.

The shivering blunette immediately noticed that the room was empty, and immediately assumed the rest of the house was too. She started to look around, checking out the furniture, and the color of the walls and rugs, something she didn't get to do last time she was here because Paul had been ushering her into his room due to his older brother, Reggie, harassing them about Dawn being Paul's newest girlfriend.

The living room was huge and spacious; there were two couches – matching white couches, although one was shorter than the other – and a comfy cornflower blue armchair along with a coffee table, a bookshelf and a table that held a lamp, but even the room still looked spacious. Unlike the rug at her house which was a dark turquoise, their rug was a lime green.

Dawn glanced at the walls which were white like her house, and looked as if they could have been newly painted. Portraits hung on the wall in black frames.

A picture of a boy with plum-colored hair who was in a diaper, only a toddler at the most – the cursive letters that spelled 'Reggie' on the bottom gave away the name of the baby. A picture of Reggie when he was about ten, Dawn estimated, holding a poké ball in one hand and grinning. Another picture of Reggie, this time with a diploma in his hand and in a graduating uniform.

On another wall there was another picture of a baby boy with plum-colored hair, this time the name Paul on the bottom. Dawn smiled at the picture, giggling at the cute portrait of Paul in diapers. Next to that picture was a portrait of Paul, a small smirk on his face and looking down with eyes closed as he held a poké ball in his palm. Again, Dawn smiled.

Those were the only two pictures of Paul so far considering he hadn't graduated from high school yet, assuming he would get a third picture like Reggie had.

Dawn turned to another wall, the wall on the other end of the room. There was only one portrait on that wall… a portrait of a young lady with fair skin and plum-colored hair and charcoal-colored eyes…

"Here."

Dawn whipped around, startled as Paul appeared. Fumbling, Dawn barely managed to catch the long salmon colored towel Paul threw to her just in time.

"Thanks…" she mumbled, looking sheepish. Quietly she followed him down the hall and up the stairs to see his room.

Paul's room was actually a lot cleaner than she would have guessed; she have been to a LOT of guy's houses and been in their rooms (for example: Ash's, Kenny's…) and all of them had been messy to some extent. Paul's room, however, was neat and organized. That's just how it was when Dawn walked into his room for a second time.

The rug was lime green and the walls were white just like how it was in the living room. There was a small bed in one corner with neatly made sheets; a large desk side of the room, in the other corner of the same wall. The only other things in his room were the bookcase filled with books and a closet. His room was simple and clean; quite the opposite of her room, actually.

"Okay, let's get started," he said immediately, taking a text book from his bookcase. "Who are you doing your project on?"

"Diamond Berlitz!" she declared, grinning. "She was the queen of Sinnoh when the world war was going on."

"I can only guess why you chose her…" Paul mumbled, flipping through the pages of the history book.

Dawn puffed out one cheek, glaring at him. "Oh! Like you wouldn't do the same thing!" she huffed. "And don't think I didn't see who you are doing your project on! You're doing your project on that one dictator, Paul… something-or-other the third!"

Paul rolled his eyes. "It's actually Raymond Cavalier the Third. He just went by his middle name, Paul."

"Still…" she mumbled, crossing her arms. Sighing, she uncrossed them.

"Anyway," Paul said, changing the subject. Well, kind of changing the subject. "Do you have any information on the girl you're doing your project on yet?" Dawn nodded, looking pleased with her.

"Yep!" she chirped. "I did a little research on Queen Diamond after our tutoring session on Monday! She was the first and only daughter of Queen Marigold and King Dominic, and later on married Julius Kingston. Her first child was a boy which she named after the father, born in 1501, when she was only twenty-one."

"Is that all you found out?" Paul asked, obviously not impressed. But Dawn's grin only grew wider, a mischievous look playing in her eyes and she shook her head.

"No – I also found out about this affair she was having while she was still married to Julius," Dawn's grin widened as she saw interest spark in Paul's cold dark eyes.

"A queen was having an affair," Paul said with amusement.

Dawn nodded. "And with your guy," she revealed. "Obviously, you haven't gotten a chance to do any research on the person you're doing your project on or you would know that by now, wouldn't you?"

Paul shrugged indifferently.

"Well, what else do you know about her?" Paul persisted, tapping his pencil impatiently against the text book which lay closed in front of him. Dawn rolled her eyes.

"She was having an affair with your guy, Raymond - or Paul Cavalier 'the third'," She continued, "The affair happened from 1499 to 1510. For eleven years, and in 1510 she was murdered—" She glared at Paul as she said this. "—by Paul Cavalier in 1510 when she turned thirty years old!"

Paul couldn't help but smirk at this piece of information.

"He murdered Queen Diamond because he wanted to be the new King of Sinnoh," Paul confirmed. "On the same day he captured King Julius and had him beheaded. He was a dictator for the World War going on at the time, commanded by King Julius which is how he knew Queen Diamond. He secretly had an affair with her so she would tell little tidbits of information to him, all the while planning her murder. While he was having the affair with her, he apparently fell in love and not even a year after murdering her in cold blood he committed suicide out of grief."

Dawn blinked, shocked. "Wait - so you already knew about the affair he had with my girl?" Paul nodded. Dawn blinked again, frowning. "Oh. Well, what a tragic story! Almost sounds like something out of a novel."

Paul nodded in agreement. "I read all that on an article summing up his life pretty much," he told her. "The article also mentioned that after both his and Diamond's death a DNA test on Diamond's son was taken, and it was confirmed that he was the real father, not Julius."

Dawn nodded.

She smiled. "Raymond Paul the Fourth!" she declared. "Except she named her son Paul Raymond instead of Raymond Paul… It was still after the father though…"

Paul grunted in approval.

"So you did some research on this girl," he said. "How do you plan on organizing the information you gathered to make this into an acceptable presentation?"

Dawn grinned, but stifled a small yawn. "I already planned out how I'm going to do my presentation!" she announced. "I'm going to have some information on her love life with Julius and her affair with Raymond, her childhood and before she was queen, and finally, when she was queen and how she participated in the World War. Then I'm going to put a couple of pictures that features her; I'm even thinking of doing a 3D model of what the kingdom she lived in looked like before it got burned down!"

"A 3D Model?" he queried. "Is a 3D model really necessary?"

Dawn pursed her lips together thoughtfully, then shook her head. "Well, no… But it'll make my project look cooler!"

"But it isn't necessary," Paul pointed out. "Really, the only thing you need to do for this project is what Ms. Shirona expects us to have which is mainly some information, a picture or two or a map if needed. You don't have to go overboard on the project, especially with models and such, because you'll just end up putting less information if only to add something you don't need."

"Hm… I've never thought of it that way," she murmured. "I sort of do get carried away with building 3D models and such… I tend to focus on those more than the information I should have added…"

"You're a coordinator, right?"

Dawn nodded, stifling another yawn.

"Treat this project like you would an appeal for your contest: you want to make the appeal, look good, but you want the attention to be on your pokémon, not just the moves. Add some pictures and draw a map if needed, but make sure you also enough information. Balance the information and the—" Paul stopped again as he noticed Dawn yawning. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she mumbled. "I'm just sleepy; I stayed up late last night doing a lot of stuff." Paul raised an eyebrow and Dawn sighed, elaborating, "I was doing some research on metals for the essay we have in English, and then I was also trying to come up with a new routine for cheerleading plus we have a test in coordinating Friday so I was trying to come up with a new appeal…"

"Are you always so busy?" Paul questioned, scoffing.

Dawn's eyebrows furrowed together thoughtfully. "Well… lately," she admitted. "Tomorrow though I just have to go to the football game to cheer, do some research on some gems and see if I can find any that I think fits you, practice my new appeal for the test on Friday and then that's it!"

Paul rolled his eyes.

Dawn yawned again, stretching her arms above her head. A roll of thunder sounded from outside and the rhythmic pitter-patter of rain picked up. She grimaced as another, louder thunder shook the house. A golden blanket of lightning flashed outside Paul's window.

"Maybe if I'm lucky there won't be any school tomorrow and I won't have to go cheer at the football game," Dawn grumbled.

"Don't like being a cheerleader anymore?" Paul sneered.

She bit her lower lip.

"To be honest, I didn't really want to be a cheerleader in the first place," Dawn admitted quietly, staring at her folded hands which laid in her lap. Paul's eyebrows shot up in surprise and confusion.

Paul frowned at the blunette. Dawn was staring out the window, watching the rain fall with a slightly dazed expression. She turned to him for a second, then back to the window.

"I use to always dress up at pep rallies and at football and all these other sport games, dressed in a cheerleading outfit to cheer them on in middle school. I never did any cartwheels or somersalts or anything though. My mom and a bunch of teachers of mine who would watch me cheer encouraged me to join the cheerleading squad… so I did."

"Don't you have to have some dance practice or something to join the cheerleading squad?" Paul queried, watching her intensely.

"I use to take gymnastics when I was younger, when I was still in elementary," she revealed. "And then for a month every summer my mom would sign me up to take some dancing or ballet lessons."

"Doesn't sound like you enjoy it," Paul commented.

Dawn bit her tongue.

"If you didn't wanna be a cheerleader than why did you join the squad?" Paul questioned, tone harsh.

"Because my mom wanted me to!" Dawn snapped. "And… and I couldn't quit after joining the squad… And I especially can't quit now, not when I'm the captain!"

"I still think it's dumb you joined in the first place if you didn't even want to," Paul grumbled. "You could have told your mom and everybody that you didn't want to."

Dawn glared at him. "You don't understand!" she shouted back.

He doesn't understand… The words echoed in her mind, a sad pit welling up in her stomach. She shook her head, deciding to change the subject.

"And what don't I un—"

"So I heard you're going out with Ana now," Dawn interrupted casually, looking at her fingernails with feign interest. "So who asked who out?"

"Who do you think," Paul grumbled. "I don't ask any girls out."

"Pfffft," Dawn snorted. "You must have asked at least one girl out before!" Paul shook his head and Dawn's grin faltered. "Not even once? How many girlfriends have you had?"

Paul shrugged. "A lot."

"But you must have asked at least one girl out," she persisted. Again, he shook his head and her eyebrows furrowed together, her forehead wrinkling. "Well, you must have had a crush on one girl at least once in your life. Maybe you didn't ask them out, but you must have still liked a girl!"

Again, Paul shrugged and Dawn's teeth began to grind together. "There were a few I was pretty fond of. Others I liked better than others, but nothing too serious," he responded back coolly.

"You're impossible," she stated. "Well, Ana is a really nice girl; you better not break her heart or anything!" Paul snorted and the blunette glared at him, crossing her arms.

"Jerk…" she huffed. "How many girlfriends have you had since you moved here?"

"If you count Ana," Paul said, slowly raising three fingers. "Three."

"In just six weeks?" Dawn exclaimed, her eyes bulging. Her eyebrows furrowed together and her forehead wrinkled as she glared at him. "What kind of jerk has three girlfriends in just six weeks?"

Paul glared at her back in response. "It'd not like I asked them out," he stated. "They ask me out, I give them a chance; if they don't interest me, then I'm not going to pretend I'm interested in them."

"Don't you think that's a little harsh?" she asked, still glaring at him.

A smirk curved Paul's lips upward as he said, "You don't understand", mimicking what she had said just a few minutes earlier.

Dawn stuck her tongue out at him in response.

"Why are you such a jerk?" she asked.

"Because I'm honest," he responded back, earning silence from her side. "If they don't have a chance with me, I let them know that. I don't play games."

A thought flashed through Dawn's mind: Would I have a chance with you?

She stayed in silence, staring at him with thoughtful, curious eyes. She couldn't help but note how different he was compared to every other boy she knew.

There were two ways she labeled guys at her school - by how nice they were, and how much of a flirt they were. Usually she put the kind, outgoing or helpful guys like Ash and Conway in the nice category while the cocky, arrogant and-or flirtatious guys like Gary and Drew went in the flirting category which also sometime called the 'stuck up' category.

Paul, however… she really couldn't put him in either group. He wasn't kind and he wasn't the willingly helpful kind, but he also wasn't the kind her flirted and teased girls nonstop. He was the cold, silent, indifferent guy who had strong opinions on certain things. He was also fierce, even brutal sometimes, in pokémon battles. She had seen a battle between him and another trainer about a week after he moved to Veilstone. He was strong, she couldn't deny that. He was a strong and skillful trainer.

He wasn't a womanizer by definition. He wasn't kind and outgoing, and he wasn't a flirt. No.

He was… different.

An _alluring_ kind of different.

He was like a puzzle, in her opinion, difficult and hard to understand, a person who was difficult to piece together. He was mysterious. Somebody who would test somebody else's skills and intelligence, somebody who was confusing and hard to understand at times. He was somebody she wanted to figure out.

I want to figure you out. I want to know more about you, Dawn found herself thinking, her heart doing the oddest thing and fluttering. Without realizing it, she repeated her thoughts out loud.

"I want to know more about you," she whispered, staring at him with wide, fascinated blue eyes. Paul stared at her for a few moments, frowning, confused somewhat by her quick and sudden change in moods.

"We should probably interview each other before you have to go home so we'll know more about each other and it'll be easier to work on our essay for English," Paul said after a while, slowly, still eyeing the blue-hair girl warily.

Dawn blinked, a small rosy pink hue painting her recently ivory-colored cheeks. "Of course," she laughed, taking out a sheet of paper. "Um, okay. Do you want to interview me first or should I interview you first…?"

Paul shrugged. "You can interview me first," he told her. Dawn nodded, pursing her lips together as she thought of a question.

"What is it people usually like best about you?" she questioned after a moment of thinking. She wrote the question down on the piece of paper she got out.

"My strength in battle," Paul answered.

Dawn wrote his response in the line underneath the question.

"You're pretty popular at school, especially with the girls," she mused. "Do you think your strength is the only reason you got so popular?"

Paul shrugged. "How I am suppose to know? All I know is that for whatever the hell reason girls always start swooning over any guy that has won at least one battle."

Dawn sweat dropped, crossing out that question.

"Err, what words do people use to describe you most of the time?" she asked next.

"Tough, quiet, secretive," he revealed. "Also some use jerk and asshole to describe me." Dawn flushed red at this remark, but over all, ignored it, writing down the first three words.

"Um, does anybody ever come up with nicknames for you because of traits of yours?" she asked next.

"My brother calls me a clam sometimes," Paul admitted. "Other times its just stupid nicknames."

Dawn nodded, writing down this information. "What traits would you use to describe yourself?" Paul stayed silent for a few minutes, thinking.

"Tough, quiet, secretive…" he mumbled. "Ambitious, indifferent…different."

Dawn watched Paul, her eyes questioning.

Paul glanced at the watch on his wrist. "It's seven o'clock," he announced, standing up. "I should get you home before it gets any later." Dawn nodded in agreement, reluctantly standing up.

"Okay," she said. "I'll just interview you some more tomorrow or Friday if I get the chance." As she followed Paul down the stairs and hallway, stopping in his living room as she waited for him to get an umbrella, she saw that same picture she had seen earlier; the picture of the lady that looked so much like Paul.

Is that his mom? She wondered, studying the lady's features. She looks awfully young… Dawn thought. I don't believe I've met his mom yet.

"Let's go," Paul grunted, whizzing past her and opening the door. Dawn had felt her heart speed up when he passed by her, but now she could feel it returning to its normal rate.

He just scared me for a second, Dawn told herself. I was concentrating too hard on that picture, I guess, and his voice and movement shocked me. That's all.

"Well, are you coming?" Paul asked impatiently, irritation in his voice.

Blood rushed to Dawn's cheeks, but she said nothing, holding her head high as she walked outside with the lavender-haired man, an umbrella above her head to shield her from the rain.

Or maybe your heart sped up for another reason… A soft voice, a soft voice present only in her mind, whispered.

* * *

Dawn was surprised when she felt a hand on her shoulder, and she had jumped, startled. She turned around, relieved when she saw it was only Zoey.

"You were thinking about him weren't you?" she asked, taking her hand off of her shoulder to cross her arms in front of her chest. Dawn blinked, confused.

"Thinking of who?" she questioned.

"Paul. You were thinking of Paul," she accused. Not a question this time. This time she was stating it, believing the words she said. Heat rushed to Dawn's cheeks, but she turned around, pouting, so her friend wouldn't see the blush.

"I wasn't thinking of Paul," she denied.

"Mhmm," Zoey hummed, clearly not believing it. "Who were you think of then?"

"I wasn't thinking of anybody," Dawn lied, her blush growing darker. "I-I was thinking about the game tonight! I was going through the routine in my head!"

"Oh. Okay then," Dawn released a breath of air, relieved Zoey had believed her lie while guilt started to gnaw on her stomach. "So, were you thinking about the tutoring date you two had last night or thinking about how you can't wait for Friday's tutor date?"

"I was thinking about how he has a date with—" Dawn's face went tomato red as she realized her slip up. "I-I mean, um…"

Zoey chuckled. "Calm down," she said. "I was only teasing you. It's kind of obvious though when you're thinking about him though. You have this dreamy look of an infatuated schoolgirl when you're thinking about him." If possible, Dawn's face went redder.

"I don't like him in that way," she hissed. "He only interests me."

"If you say so," Zoey replied. "Anyway, have you decided which pokémon and appeal you are using for our test tomorrow?"

Dawn nodded, glad for the change in subject. "Mhm! I've decided I'm going to use my Typhlosion and have it use a SmokeScreen-Flame Wheel-Swift combination!" she told her friend. "Which pokémon are you using?"

"Lumineon," Zoey concluded. "I'm going to do either a Silver Wind-Waterfall combination or a Whirlpool-Silver Wind combination. I'm leaning more on the latter."

The bell for the next class rang.

"I'll see you later," Dawn called, waving to her friend.

"Yeah, see ya."

Dawn exited the room with the other coordinators. She could still hear May bickering with Drew over nothing important. Dawn turned a corner, her heart skipping a beat when she saw Paul.

Crap, she cursed. I am not going to prove Zoey right!

"Hey Paul!" she greeted cheerfully, walking up to him. Paul turned around, then gave a brief nod when he saw.

"Hn," He grunted. "Going to cheerleading?" Dawn frowned at the sourness he put into these words.

"Yes… I am," she stated, quite blandly.

"Have fun with that," he muttered, walking away. Dawn's gaze hardened, flashing with something much like determination. She grabbed Paul's wrist, stopping him in his tracks.

"Listen," she started, her blue eyes meeting his coal black eyes. "Just because I originally didn't wanna be a cheerleader doesn't mean I don't enjoy it at times. True, it's not exactly a passion of mine, but I haven't quit yet have I?" She smiled at him as she said this last part.

Paul tore his eyes away from hers. "Why didn't you tell me this last night?" he asked, amusement hinted in his voice. Dawn's smile grew into a grin.

"I don't know why," she said after a while. "I just told you that now so you would stop talking to me as if I'm an idiot just because I'm a cheerleader even though I originally didn't want to be."

"Hn."

Dawn stared at him, biting her lower lip. "Well, I need to go now before I'm late to cheerleading…" she said after a while. "See you later?"

"Whatever." He turned his back toward her, but hesitated before actually walking away.

"Bye. Dawn."

A small smile slipped across Dawn's face as he said her name. Her heart fluttered and her cheeks grew warm. Something much like a chill ran down her back, and slowly, Dawn turned away. Her mind was in a daze as she walked to cheerleading.

The rest of the day went by both fast and slow, hazy but clear at the same time. But all the time, from cheerleading all the way to English, she found her mind on Paul.

She found herself brushing off every and any mistake the girls made, only smiling and telling the confused girls, "No need to worry. We'll get it next time!" She didn't even comment or sigh when Tammy's slippers fell off for the millionth time that practice.

During science, she actually found herself laughing at her teacher's quirky behavior, and not to mention secretly glancing at Paul when she thought he wasn't looking. Her heart fluttered every time he spoke to her.

History wasn't even as boring as it usually was for her; then again, how could it be boring when every time her fingers brushed against Paul or they made the simplest of contact, she felt her heart race at an impossible rate and feel the exhilaration going through her veins?

Her elective was horrible because Paul wasn't in the Student Council, but even so her thoughts were always on him. She thought about the essay she was doing on him in English, and which metal or gemstone he should be; she thought about his naturally cold nature, his indifference to the world around him, and just how different he was to every other boy she knew.

Different. Dawn's heart pounded now every time she heard that word because she thought of Paul…

Math. During math she had asked him with help on how to do the class work even though she knew perfectly well how to do it. She just wanted to talk to him… she wanted him to talk to her. Not to mention she wanted an excuse to stare at him throughout the class…

English, thankfully, she didn't need an excuse to talk to him; Professor Oak had talked a little about their essay once more and had allowed them some time to interview their partner some more. He had even given each of them a piece of paper to fill out which they were to fill out and then give to their partners. Of course, Zoey just had to pester Dawn about crushing on Paul, something she denied fiercely, her face flushing redder than a cherubi.

Flex went by in a blur, but she could recall still thinking of Paul, trying to find an excuse to talk to him and coming up with nothing.

But then…

A thought sparked Dawn as she was walking to her homework help class, from Professor Oak's class to Misty's sister's room again. The words Zoey said went through one ear and out the other as she stared intensely at Paul's back who was a couple yards in front of her and Zoey.

"Uh, can you hold that thought for a moment Zoe? I want to ask Paul something really quick," she told her friend.

Zoey raised an eyebrow, glancing at Paul and then back to Dawn, but nodded. "Okay, sure. Go ahead." she said. Dawn smiled, waving as she jogged up to Paul.

"Hey," she greeted, smiling.

Paul flashed her a quick glance through the corner of his eyes, then grunted, still walking at his same quick pace. Dawn struggled to keep up with the brisk pace, having to jog in order to do so.

"So," she started, deciding not to beat around the bush. "Um, my birthday is coming up in two days, and some friends of mine are throwing a birthday bash for me. I was hoping you could come. You don't even have to bring a present for me! It's just, um, I would really like it if you could come."

Paul's brisk pace cooled down to a stop as she stared at her. A red blush was painted across her cheeks and she smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head.

"You're inviting me to a birthday party of yours?" He asked.

She bit her lower lip, nodding slowly. "Um, yeah." she confirmed. "So, will you come?" she asked again hopefully, smiling at him again.

Suddenly Paul smirked. "You're inviting a jerk like me to your birthday party? Just a month ago you hated me."

"I never said I hated you," Dawn replied back, frowning.

"You didn't need to say it. You called me a 'jerk' and a 'heartless asshole' enough times to make the fact obvious," he responded.

"Well, I still didn't hate you," she mumbled back. "Besides, I… I feel like I know you better than before, and you aren't that bad, I guess…" She bit her lower lip again. "So… will you come?"

"I'll think about it," Paul replied, walking again.

Dawn watched him go, both a surge of disappointment and excitement going through her as she turned around, almost smacking straight into Zoey.

Zoey looked at her knowingly, shaking her head and making a tsk-ing sound. Zoey walked straight past her, still shaking her head as if in disappointment even though the redhead was grinning knowingly.

"And you still say you don't like him," Zoey mused, sighing. "You fall for guys so quick, Dawn; I'm disappointed in you."

Dawn pursed her lips together and she stuck her chin out, huffing as she crossed her arms. "I don't like him like that Zoey! How many times do I have to tell you?"

Zoey's grin only widened as she walked away, her tongue still clicking the roof of her mouth.

Dawn flushed red as if angered, but deep down, she knew she was lying. She knew what Zoey was saying was true, but refused to admit it to anyone, even herself.

Deep down, she knew she was falling for the guy she once considered a heartless jerk…

______

_.x._

_He symbolizes power and strength  
__She symbolizes the sun and its warmth  
__She gives us hope and love  
__She shows us happiness and optimism  
__Rather than pessimism  
__With her there's never a defection  
__Because she symbolizes perfection  
__With his skills he is of great value  
__A quality owned by few  
__And he is filled with intelligence  
__Maybe together they can show us a balance  
__Let's see what they'll behold  
__Together, they symbolize gold_

* * *

**Ugh, fanfic is being so weird with me. :x Anyway, my apologies if there's any mistakes, I was too lazy to check over this (again, hehe...). Also, I apologize again if this chapter was kind of confusing to read. I was sort of all over the place when I was writing this chapter (writing one scene, then writing another the next moment...). Just let me know any mistake you see and I'll fix it, hm? ^^; **

**Anyway, I'll try to update this in about two weeks. Until then, leave a review? 8D Every author likes to know who reads her story~ ;) (CYBER COOKIE FOR ANYBODY WHO REVIEWS! 8D Hahaha... *you know you want it*). **


	5. Silver

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **She's the diamond: the beautiful jewel of the school. He's the pearl: his school status is built around his fan girls. Together as a couple they are platinum: malleable, ductile and maybe over time, highly resistant to the heat around them. Ikarishipping!

_**PART ONE**_—**_Diamond and Pearl_**

**Chapter Five**

Dawn's sheet.

_Answered by Paul.  
__**Interpreted by Dawn.**_

**Interview Sheet**-

1. What are some of your strengths and weaknesses?

_Strengths - battling and schoolwork  
__Weaknesses - don't have any_

_**Considering Paul is skilled in battling, I can interpret him as being 'tough' and 'strong'. Also considering he is also skilled in schoolwork I can interpret this as 'intelligence'. No weaknesses? Paul is just being modest.**_

2. How would you describe your personality and yourself as a person?

_Usually quiet, aggressive towards some. I'm also ambitious when it comes to my pokémon training. I'm also tough and indifferent towards some; easily annoyed by the same people. I'm also honest. Over all, I'm mainly quiet, prefer focusing on my training, and can be aggressive at times._

_**Obviously you're talking about Ash when you say 'some'… The 'tough' can fall into the 'strong' category. I think the 'aggressiveness' can too… I'm not sure about the rest. 'Indifferent' is a synonym for cold though. (:**_

3. What pokémon do you think you're most like and why?

_A Cloyster. Because it has a tough outer-shell and it's a strong pokémon._

_**Can interpret that as being tough and strong again…**_

4. Do people say you have more of a positive attitude or a negative attitude?

_Negative._

_**I don't think you have that much of a negative attitude; you just aren't that lively or upbeat. You got the confidence thing down though!**_

5. Would you say you have a good influence or bad influence on people?

_Bad influence. My brother says I have a rotten attitude._

_**Meh, this is a stupid question anyway. It's practically the same as the last question.**_

6. What do you look for in your pokémon? (Cuteness, strength, a certain type?)

_Strength._

_**I swear Paul I'm going to have to compare you to a diamond. (You know, because they are supposed to be the hardest material in the world).**_

7. Are you an honest person?

_Yes._

_**Hm… Gold symbolizes 'honesty' doesn't it? No? Maybe it was something else I was thinking of…**_

8. What does your outer appearance look like? Ex: Your hair color, eye color, are you tall, short, average, muscles, no muscles, etc.?

_Purple hair, a "plum" color according to my brother. Dark eyes, a dark gray, look black though. I'm tall (6'1''). Muscular. I'm tanned._

_**Oooh, do you have a six pack? Or even better, an eight or ten pack? :D **_

_I have an eight pack. Why?_

_**Yup, you're definitely not going to be compared to mercury in my essay. :] (Get it? Because mercury is the only metal that can be liquid.) Another thing to go in the 'strong' category.**_

…

9. What kind of words do people use after seeing you perform something you're good at (ex: battle, appeal, sport you're in, etc.)?

_Admirable. They also call my battling strategy 'unique'. _

_**Hm. 'Admirable' can probably symbolize something. 'Unique' can too, I'm sure.**_

10. When is your birthday?

_June 26_

_**Which means Paul's gemstone is the pearl! (: Wanna know what's funny? The birthstone color for June can be white or purple! (Your hair color, Paul!)**_

Dawn smiled as she finished commenting on her sheet of paper which Paul had filled his answers out on, then turned back to Paul who had just been asking her the questions on his sheet of paper.

"What does your outer appearance look like? For example, your hair, your eye color, tall, short, average, muscles or not?" Paul drawled out the eighth question.

"Hm." Dawn set down her sheet of paper, a thoughtful expression painted on her face. "Well, I have blue hair and blue eyes, obviously. I'm fair-skinned. Um, I'm kind of muscular I guess from cheerleading and stuff, but not that much. I would say I'm either short or average… I'm five foot-four inches I think. Or I'm five foot-five inches. Not sure. I'm also pretty thin."

Paul nodded, scrawling out her answer on his sheet.

"What kind of words do people use after seeing you perform something you're good at? Example: a battle, an appeal, a sport you're in…"

"Well, let's see people usually call my appeal nowadays a lot of things. Beautiful, spectacular, unique, fun, et cetera… I usually get praised a lot for the routines I come up with in cheerleading; that the routines are fun and creative." Dawn chirped, smiling widely as she sat on her stomach, her legs swinging above her. "I also get praised for how hard I work on the routines to make sure they are absolutely _perfect. _They say I'm pretty skillful too."

"When is your birthday?" Paul asked next.

"April fifth," she announced. "Thinking of my birthday, are you coming to my birthday bash or not?" she questioned.

Paul sighed. "Do I _need_ to come?" he grumbled.

Dawn frowned. "Well, I would _like_ you to come," she told him. "Please can you come? There will be games and Kenny is going to be a DJ at my birthday bash, and you can even battle some of the people there, like Ash!"

"I'll think about it," he grumbled.

"Paaaul!" Dawn whined, grabbing his arm. Did Paul's arm just jerk? She took retreated her arm back, shocked, her ego slightly bruised.

Paul looked away, looking sheepish. "Sorry," he muttered.

"U-uh, that's okay," she mumbled. She cleared her throat, deciding to pretend that never happened. "You said you would 'think about it' last time! Please will you come?" She was about to put her hand on his shoulder, but then stopped, not wanting Paul to jerk away like last time.

Another sigh passed through Paul's lips, and once more he gave a simple answer that didn't reject Dawn's offer, but also didn't accept it: "We'll see."

This time Dawn sighed as she blew at her blue bangs. "Well, alright then…"

Paul glanced at the clock hanging on his wall, and then informed her, "its eight o'clock… You should probably be on your way home now."

The blunette nodded, standing up to gather her papers and schoolwork. "I'lll meet you in the car…" she mumbled, exiting the bedroom door.

He could here Dawn greet her brother as he pulled on his coat, and sure enough, only moments later, Reggie entered the room. A pleasant smile was on his face as he gently closed the door behind him.

"Did you finish your homework?" Reggie questioned. Paul grunted a 'yes' out in response and Reggie nodded in satisfaction. "So… did I hear Dawn mention something about a birthday party, hm?"

Paul knew what was coming next.

"It's her seventeenth birthday bash," he mumbled. "It's this Monday. She wants me to go."

"Well, I don't see why not!" Reggie told him. "I mean, there's no school Monday with Spring Break and whatnot going on, and not to mention Dawn is a very kind and intelligent young girl. You should go to her party, Paul; it sounded like she really wanted you to go."

Well, considering Reggie just found out about Dawn's birthday bash, Paul figured he now didn't have much of a choice anyway. Of course, Paul didn't speak this thought out loud, and instead just remained silent.

"Besides, you two are friends now, aren't you? If you do go to her birthday party—" _"When you do go to her birthday party" _was how it was translated in Paul's mind. "—we'll have to buy her a birthday gift! And a funny birthday card, too! Like one of those that talks or sings!"

"Whatever," Paul muttered. "I have to go take Dawn home now."

"Are you going to her party though?" Reggie queried.

"I'll think about it," Paul replied, rolling his eyes as he gave his brother the same reply he gave Dawn.

He grabbed his car keys before shutting the door behind him. The breezy night air greeted him as he stepped out on the porch, making his way to his car and Dawn. Dawn turned to watch him as he climbed into the car, the faintest smile on her lips. Without saying a word, Paul started up the car and backed out of his yard. The car remained silent as he drove to Dawn's mansion of a house, a two-story house with a lawn that stretched on for what seemed like forever.

Paul stopped the car about ten feet in front of her house, that way she wouldn't have to walk far in the dark. She didn't climb out of his car though as he expected her to do when he arrived. Instead, she turned to face him, her eyes boring almost intently into his.

"I got my grade up to a B minus," she announced lightly. Her lips which were previously in a firm line began to curve upwards as she smiled at him, her eyes also becoming less intent. "Thanks to you," she added, her smile widening and her eyes twinkling.

For some reason, whatever reason it was, maybe it was just how hot it was in the car, Paul found himself staring at the twinkle visible in her ocean blue eyes. He felt somewhat woozy, as if his mind was clouded with thoughts even though all he was thinking of was that little twinkle in her eye. Maybe it was because he was concentrating too hard on the twinkle.

Shaking his head, Paul finally mumbled, "That's good."

Dawn nodded in agreement, letting out a small hum. "Yeah. It went up from a D to a B minus in just three weeks! If I work hard enough I might get Honor Rolls again," she joked. "But really Paul, thanks so much. I know you probably have better things to be doing, such as training your pokémon, rather than tutoring me. It really does mean a lot to me that you would help me like this with my grade."

Paul shrugged, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He wasn't use to be praised on this kind of thing.

"Like I said, it's no problem." He grunted.

Dawn gave another small nod, biting her lower lip as she slowly opened the door to his car, as if reluctant. Paul watched her every movement, for some reason unable to look away.

"Well, I'll see you… I'll see you next Monday, I guess." She told him, about to step out of the car.

"Wait." A hand on her shoulder made Dawn stop, and she turned around, staring questioningly at him. A blush crawled on her cheek though as her eyes locked with his. Slowly, Paul's hand retreated from her shoulder, but he continued to hold her gaze.

"I decided I would go to your birthday bash," he said after a moment or two, looking away after saying this. Dawn's eyes widened and she couldn't stop a big grin from spreading across her face.

"Really? That's great! Thanks so much Paul!"

Abruptly, without thinking, Dawn threw her arms around him. To say the least, Paul was surprised, and Dawn was too by her bold action. Even so, she didn't release the hug just yet, first taking the chance to inhale Paul's cologne. Awkwardly, Paul returned the hug, only wrapping one arm around her because he couldn't move the other one considering his position in the driver's seat. Reluctantly, Dawn pulled away, still smiling nonetheless.

"I'll see you this Monday then," she told him. She climbed out of the car, glancing at him shyly before smiling, waving goodbye. Paul only watched, his mind in a fog.

**ooo**

It was nearly midnight and Paul still laid awake in bed, thinking about _her. _Why was he thinking of her? He didn't understand it. Well, he couldn't say he was exactly thinking about Dawn, but he was thinking about his reactions to her.

Like why did he jolt when she moved to touch his arm? Maybe it had a spasm or something. He did remember her hand feeling hot against his arm, and he remembered something that felt close to electricity run through his arm. Of course, he dismissed the electricity as something from his imagination.

He was also wondering why he had found himself unable to look away once his dark eyes connected with her blue eyes. Staring into them, he felt lost. And staring at the twinkle in her eyes, something that gave way to the obvious happiness and gratitude she felt for her, had caused his heart to feel lighter.

It was a strange, almost alien feeling for him.

Well, he couldn't say it was the first time he felt this way. Like he had told Dawn a few weeks ago when she asked, he had been fond of a few girls in his lifetime. He couldn't exactly say he had a crush on them, but he was fond of them. He guessed Dawn was one of those girls now.

Paul gently shook his head, willing those thoughts away. Still, thoughts about the sweet, outgoing blue-haired girl lingered.

Who were those other girls he was fond of anyway? Paul couldn't remember their names or what they looked like, but he could remember what they were like. They were all the same: quiet, kind, intelligent and they usually kept to themselves, giving him room to breathe unlike practically every other girl who took whatever chance they had to compliment him and ask him out on a date. He appreciated the fact they weren't clingy and desperate to make out with him in public whenever possible, if only to make their friends and other girls jealous. They were also gentle, usually soft-spoken.

But Dawn, she wasn't quiet, didn't keep to herself, and definitely wasn't soft-spoken. She was kind though, gentle with things, and she was smart considering she had the potential to be an Honor Roll student, if only she could get her History grade up to an A minus at least.

Those girls he was fond of, had asked him out like every other girl, but nonetheless the qualities they had—or _didn't_ had—is what kept him dating them about a week longer than every other girl. Like always though, something had made him break up with them. What was it though?

Oh yeah, that's it.

They weren't _interesting_ enough for him. Not to say he was an interesting person, because he considered himself rather boring, actually.

Sure, they were nice and sure, they kept to themselves and didn't scream in his ear about something every second of the day, but nonetheless, that didn't keep them from being boring to him. There was nothing special about the dates they went on, nothing that kept the dates exciting, and nothing that kept Paul from feeling bored. Sure, he enjoyed the peace and quiet, but even so he knew he would never marry a girl that couldn't even keep him from falling asleep on a date.

Dawn, was fun, however. Any date she went on with anybody would be anything but boring with her chatterbox mouth and outgoing attitude.

Dawn.

Why was he repeating her name in his mind?

An image of the blue-haired girl entered his mind, but the image blurred as the sound of the wind outside finally began to lull him to sleep. But even in his dreams, he could still see the vibrant shade of blue and those mesmerizing eyes of hers, her laughter ringing in his mind as he slept.

* * *

It was later than usual when Dawn woke up that morning, much to her surprise. The sun was shining into her window like a blinding golden light, already high in the sky. When Dawn glanced at the clock it was around eleven o'clock, which was late for Dawn considering she usually woke up at by ten o'clock, and nine-thirty at the latest.

"Dawn… wake up," Her mother's gentle, coaxing voice whispered in her ear.

"Mmm…" Dawn mumbled in response, sighing, before tossing to the other side, now turned away from her mother.

"Dawn…" Her mother tried again, gently shaking her. "Dear, time to wake up; it's eleven."

She rolled over in bed again, her sleepy eyes slowly opening. Her eyes were clouded with sleep, but the cloud disappeared as she stretched and closed her eyes again, fighting the tiredness away.

"What time did you say it was?" she whispered, reopening her eyes. She stretched her arms behind her back then cracked her knuckles.

"It's about ten after eleven now," her mom responded in that quiet voice of hers, as if she didn't want to break the peaceful atmosphere set by the bright sun, the melodic singing of Starlies outside, and the overall quietness of the morning.

Dawn, however, shrieked loudly at her mother's new, her eyes stretched wide in shock.

"TEN AFTER ELEVEN?" she screamed, jumping out of bed.

"Mom, why didn't you wake me up sooner? My birthday party is about to start in less than two hours! Ohhh! What am I going to do? There's so much to do and I'm not even ready!" The blunette pulled at her messy hair, pacing wildly in front of her mother.

"Dawn, calm down," Johanna interrupted her mutterings to herself, chuckling nervously. A sweat drop trickled down her mother's forehead which she dabbed at with a handkerchief.

"I already got everything ready: the decorations, the presents, the tables… not yet the refreshments, but it's too early for that." Her mom informed her.

"And I didn't wake you because you looked so peaceful sleeping and you've earned some rest," Her mother told her. "With cheerleading practice, projects for Spring Break you're trying to get a head start on, and working on that project you currently have in History… You've been up so many nights, Dawn, you're always busy, always doing something… You deserve a break, especially on your birthday. Just let your mom get everything ready for you this time, okay dear?"

Dawn stared at her mother for a minute or so, her limbs hanging limply at her side and her eyes wide and questioningly. Then she sighed, sweeping back her damp bangs with her hand.

"Well, okay, mom… Thanks," she added awkwardly.

Johanna just nodded.

"Now go take a shower, and let me take care of everything." She smiled at her daughter. "And when you're done showering, I have a present I would like to give you…"

"Alright then…"

Dawn grabbed a pink towel from a cupboard, her rosy pink bathrobe, some fresh lingerie and slipped on her fuzzy pink slippers. As warm water pelted her back and ran through her hair, she wondered what her mother gave her.

About thirty minutes later, when she felt fresh and clean again, she exited the shower and threw on her lingerie and then her bathrobe when she hugged close to her, cherishing the warmth the fuzz provided.

When she entered the living room she saw her mom on the couch, a pink-colored dress spread neatly out in front of her, a transparent material cloaking it from harm and dirt. Johanna smiled as she spotted her daughter from the hallway.

"Mom…?" Her mom gestured for her to come closer. Hesitantly, Dawn walked over to her mom, frowning in confusion at the pink dress that sat so neatly in her mother's lap. "Is that…?"

"Happy birthday dear," Her mother stood up, the dress folding out neatly in front of her, revealing the real beauty of the dress.

The dress was colored a light shade of pink, and was meant to flow beautifully like a waterfall at the hip. The lower half was a tad darker than the top, rose pink against shell pink. The bottom also showed faint glints now and then hidden beneath folds of the gown, and Dawn couldn't help but wonder if they were diamonds.

"Mom… this is… this is…" She was too astounded to think of a proper word for something so… _amazing_, something so _beautiful_, something so… so… deserving of somebody great.

"You deserve this," Her mother told her.

Dawn remained silent, staring at the dress with a mixture of shock and gratitude. Finally, she met her mom's eyes, reflections of her own ocean-blue eyes, but her mom's eyes were filled with warmth and love instead of shock.

"Th-thank you, mom…" she whispered. "This… this must have been so expensive."

Her mom shrugged. "You deserved it," her mom repeated, still smiling. "You've been working so hard to bring up your grade in History so you have straight A's again. Not to mention I can tell how hard you've been working on your cheerleading routines, staying up late at night just to come up with new, original routines even though you don't need to."

Dawn stayed silent, numb with gratefulness and happiness.

"Thank you…" she whispered one last time.

Her mom just chuckled. "Try on your dress now," her mom told her. "We still need to get you ready for your birthday; everybody's jaws are going to drop when they see you tonight, looking like a goddess out of a fairytale!"

Dawn just smiled, already heading for the bathroom.

* * *

"Happy birthday, birthday girl!" Misty had shouted upon arrival.

Dawn's smile only grew bigger as one by one, people began to arrive for her birthday party. Her smile transitioned into a cheerful grin though when her five besties arrived together, stepping out of Daisy's red sport car (that was surprisingly big enough to fit all six of them).

All of her friends had dressed up in simple spaghetti strapped dresses (except Zoey, who sported a simple tallow tank top and a red knee-length skirt. The prude.) in their favored color (Misty, light yellow; May, red; Leaf, green; and Marina, white with a light pink waistband).

Each also carried a matching handbag on one shoulder for Dawn had asked them to spend the night, so they could have a slumber party after her birthday party came to an end. Her friends each handed her a small, neatly wrapped gift or a gift bag filled with brightly colored tissue paper to hide the object inside.

Her friends had arrived early for her party, when it was just starting to begin, keeping her busy while they waited for more guests to arrive. When Kenny finally arrived, they got the music going, and he played a fun, spunky pop-dance song that Dawn couldn't remember the name of.

By mid-afternoon most of her guests had arrived, and her friends began to mingle with other friends of theirs, leaving her alone for a short while. She decided to take this chance to look for a certain plum-haired man.

"Happy birthday Dawn!"

"Hey, Birthday Queen!"

"I hope you're having a great seventeenth birthday, birthday girl!"

"Oh! I love your dress, Dawn! It's beautiful! Also happy b-day!"

"Wow! You look fabulous in that dress Dawn!"

A gasp. "Dawn! You look a GODDESS in that dress!"

Dawn would quickly thank the person who wished her a happy birthday or complimented her, flashing them a charming smile that flashed her pearly whites, before continuing her hunt for Paul.

_Is he here yet? He said he was coming… _

_Did he change his mind? Is he not coming, after all?_

_Paul, where are you?_

These thoughts whirled in Dawn's mind as she made her way through the crowd of partygoers, her eyes and mind alert for any shade of that familiar, eye-catching purple.

Dawn stopped herself for a second, thinking: _Why am I so intense on finding Paul anyway?_

In her mind, she told herself she didn't know why and she pretended to feel confused. But in a conscious part of her present in her mind she knew she it was because she liked Paul, more than she wanted to. Slowly, that conscious part of her grew more present in her mind until she wanted to deny the fact, bud couldn't.

_Okay, so maybe I do like him… _Dawn admitted for the first time to herself. _Nothing wrong with that. I've had crushes before. There's nothing wrong with crushing. That's all he is: a crush, and he'll continue to be nothing more than a crush._

Feeling slightly better and little more exhilarated after the tiny confession she made to herself, she continued her hunt for Paul.

She twisted her body, glancing this way and back, then moved on. She was excited, eager, _desperate _to find that familiar hue of purple. There was many colors in the crowd, but none of them presented the color she oh-so-badly wanted to see. Her heart was thumping with excitement, clenching with anxiety.

As she searched though with no sign of the indifferent man, those doubts she previously had resurfaced.

_Maybe he isn't here…_

Suddenly, she caught a flash of raven and ginger together and immediately recognized her one of her best friends and one of her best guy friends.

"Hey, Misty, Ash." She greeted casually, walking up to the two.

The two tore their gazes away from the other for a moment to flash a smile.

"Hey," they both greeted in unison.

"Happy birthday, Dawn!" Ash yelled, swinging an arm around first her shoulder and then Misty's. Both girls tipped over a little at the sudden weight, a sweat drop trickling down both their foreheads.

Ash sighed, long and contently.

"I remember the day I turned seventeen!" Ash chimed, grinning madly. "I remember it was seven years after I got Pikachu for the first time! Thinking of Pikachu, what happened to that little rat?"

Unwinding his arms from around the girls' shoulders, he swung his head from side to side, looking for the plump electrical mouse.

"Pika pika!"

Ash smiled, chuckling as he spotted Pikachu, getting cozy with a bottle of ketchup that had been on one of the refreshment tables for anybody who didn't want a naked hotdog or wanted to add some flavor to their hamburger.

Dawn turned her gaze away from pikachu and turned to Ash and Misty, quietly clearing her throat.

"Um, so have anybody seen Paul here yet? There was something I wanted to ask him for our project in English," she told them, easily making up a lie to go with the question.

Ash shook his head.

"The jerk? No, I haven't seen him around lately," Ash retorted, glaring at the ground as if he was around. Suddenly his chocolate colored eyes lit up, and his childish grin returned. "But if you do see Paul, tell him next time we battle I WILL beat him! Pikachu and everybody else have been training extra hard for our next battle!"

Dawn smiled, nodding. She turned to Misty.

"Have you?"

She smiled sadly, shaking her head.

"Sorry, Dawn, I haven't. Maybe he isn't here yet," she suggested, shrugging her thin shoulders.

"Maybe," she agreed, trying to sound as casual as she could while also not trying to let the hurt show in her eyes. After chatting for a few more minutes with Misty she waved, said "see you later!" and walked on by.

**ooo**

"Wow," Kimberlee said. "It looks like the whole school came to Dawn's birthday party!"

Tammy nodded in agreement, grabbing a nearby red velvet cupcake from a refreshment table. She nibbled at the cupcake, commenting casually, "I bet Paul is here. He is always with Dawn lately."

Kimberlee frowned at this comment, but then shook her head.

"The two seem pretty close lately," she murmured, absentmindedly sweeping her mocha-colored hair to one side of her face. Immediately they fell back into place.

"Yeah, they have," Tammy agreed, still nibbling at her cupcake. "I still remember that one time Dawn started screaming at Paul in the middle of one of Ms. Shirona's lessons."

"You don't think Dawn has a—" She never got to finish her sentence because just then the beautiful blunette walked over to them, that charming smile glued onto her face.

The girl looked just as beautiful and fresh as she always did. Her blue locks had been curled neatly into ringlets that framed her face and her bangs were parted. A glittering gemstone tiara (they wouldn't have been surprised a bit if the tiara was made of real diamonds considering how wealthy her mom is) placed neatly into her hair, making her look even more like royalty.

A beautiful pink dress hugged the upper half of Dawn's body, light pink sleeves made of some delicate material falling off her sleeves, showing off her collarbone and the diamond necklace that she always wore no matter where she went. The lower half of her dress flowed at her hips in many layers, just like a dress from a fairytale would. Diamonds could also be seen holding back the first layer, glinting and glittering beautifully in the sun.

Natalie's and Tammy's mouths both dropped open at the sight of her.

"Um, hey guys!" Dawn greeted them in that naturally sweet voice of hers. "Are you enjoying the party so far?"

Slowly, recovering from their shock, both girls exchanged glances.

Finally, Kimberlee nodded, matching her smile.

"The party is great!" she reassured her. "Food, drinks, music… you have everything here!"

Dawn laughed, her head bobbing in agreement.

"Not to mention a birthday girl who looks like royalty today," Tammy added, referring to her. "Your dress is so beautiful! Where did you get it?"

She shrugged.

"It was a gift from my mom," she revealed. "I don't know where she got it though. I don't know where she gets half my presents to be honest!"

Kimberlee laughed and Tammy just grinned, finishing the rest of her cupcake.

"So have any of you guys seen Paul here, yet?" Dawn asked in an easy-going voice. "I need to ask him something for our project in English."

Kimberlee's smile faltered for a second, threatening to droop into a frown. She quickly covered up her surprise though.

"You don't know where he is?" Kimberlee queried, and although she was able to cover up her shock well she was unable to keep a hint of surprise from her voice. Tammy looked equally surprised along with confused.

"Oh, we don't know where is he is!" Tammy replied. "We figured if he was anywhere, he was with you! You two seem so close!" The blunette turned a faint pink at this remark and Kimberlee elbowed her friend in the gut.

"Paul and I do seem pretty close, huh?" Dawn asked, laughing sheepishly.

Tammy nodded in agreement, saying rather matter-of-factly, "Yup! Your closeness with him can make some other girls jealous!"

Kimberlee elbowed her again.

Dawn pursed her lips together, asking curiously, "Why is that?"

"Well, because they have a crush on him, duh!" Tammy responded, rolling her eyes while grinning childishly. "Like I know a LOT of girls who have crushes on him!"

Another elbow to the ribs.

"Really?"

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise but Kimberlee guessed she wasn't really surprised. It was no secret after all that the plum-haired man was a heartthrob at school with his good looks, fantastic grades, and strong, almost unbeatable, battle techniques. And his bad boy attitude and that natural mysterious trait he possessed only added to the many reasons so many girls were crushing on him at school. Kimberlee being one of them.

What was it Kimberlee liked about him anyway? His looks? His smarts? His strength? The mystery that surrounded him?

She would be lying if she said it was just the last one, because like everybody else she did find his long lavender locks, smoldering black eyes and tanned muscles quite irresistible, and she did admire his high IQ level and his strength in battle, but Kimberlee… she was a mystery girl who liked mystery guys.

And to her, Paul was just another puzzle to solve.

"Well, thanks for the help," Dawn said, waving to them. "After my birthday party is over, I'm having a small get-together of friends where we'll be playing some fun, classic games such as truth or dare and spin the bottle; you two can come if you want."

"That would be nice," Kimberlee responded, giving a small wave back.

"See you there!" Tammy called back, grinning.

* * *

For some reason Dawn couldn't explain, she felt upset. Okay, so yeah, maybe Paul hadn't shown up after all? Big whoops. It wasn't the end of the world. Guys change their minds all the time, no big deal.

Yet even so Dawn felt miserable. She even felt somewhat betrayed.

_He could have called me and said he wasn't going to come after all!_ Dawn thought fiercely, glaring at the ground.

Sighing, Dawn entered her large mansion, hoping for a few minutes of peace and quiet, hoping to clear her mind. She was glad and excited at first that so many people had came to her birthday party, but now she just felt annoyed at all of them and wished they would just go away.

_Why can't any of them be Paul? _she wailed silently in her mind.

"Mom?" she asked.

Silence was her only response. She tried again.

"Mom?"

A pause, then—

"What is it dear?" Her mom exited from the master bedroom, dressed in a beautiful halter dress that tied behind the neck, the hard material of her dress shimmering with silver glitter. Her mom was also wearing white pearl earrings and a matching pearl necklace. Somehow, Dawn got the idea she was going somewhere.

"Do you need something?" Johanna asked.

She shook her head. "No. I just needed some air to breathe."

"Is all the attention getting to you already?" Johanna teased, grinning good-willingly at her daughter. Dawn smiled too, nodding her head once.

"Yeah, I guess…" she murmured. She stared at her mom for a second then asked rather abruptly, "Are you going somewhere?"

For a second her mom looked off-guard which transitioned quickly into mild surprise and then total embarrassment, her face painting itself a rosy hue as her mom grinned, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

"Oh, I totally forgot to tell honey because I only remembered it recently," her mom told her, the pink shade of her face gradually fading back to ivory.

Dawn blinked.

"Tell me what?"

"I… I sort have a date tonight," her mother revealed.

Now it was Dawn's turn to be shocked.

"For real?" she blurted, eyes wide. "You have a d-date? On my birthday?"

"I'm sorry, honey; like I said, I sort forgot about it until just an hour ago," her mother apologized. "If you want me to stay to be with you I can always just cancel the date; he'll understand."

The shock faded from Dawn's feature, and then as her mother's words sunk in, she shook her head frantically, waving her arms as she did.

"No, no! It's okay mom, really! I can handle the party myself, promise! You can go out on your date," Dawn told her. "But tell me… who is your date? Is he the guy you've been talking to on the phone lately?"

Johanna chuckled. "Caught in the act!" she joked, smiling, grateful for her daughter's understanding nature. "It's this man I ran into just a few months ago. You should know him, he's an old family friend; his son is Barry."

"You're dating Barry's dad?" Dawn gasped, her eyes wide.

Johanna nodded. "He's an adventurous and somewhat impatient man, but he's fun and quite charming; he's a really great man. He's strong too, as you should know."

"He's head of the Battle Frontier here, isn't he?" Dawn recalled her childhood friend bragging to her about his dad's "important" status in Sinnoh.

"Mhm. He may seem a little rough around the edges, but he's really a gentlemen and a great guy to be around. In fact, he's taking me to that nice little restaurant next to Lake Valor," Johanna revealed, grinning.

Dawn grinned too.

"I'm happy for you mom," she told her truthfully. "Bt when are you leaving?"

Johanna checked the wall on the clock, her eyes widening just slightly. "Oh! He told me he would pick me up at five… he's probably waiting for me right now!"

Danced glanced at the clock and saw it was about ten minutes after five.

"Go mom," she told her. Johanna turned to her, worry visible on her face. She gave her mom an encouraging smile.

"Are you sure?" her mom questioned, stealing nervous glances outside. Dawn nodded, smiling.

"Of course mom! Just go and have fun with your date!" She winked and Johanna flushed, giving a short laugh.

"Well, alright… if you say you'll be okay, then I believe you. Just be safe, dear. And don't forget all of them except those few selected friend of your have to go by midnight!"

Dawn rolled her eyes, grinning mischievously.

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she replied, lightly pushing her mom outside the door. "Have fun now."

After watching her mom find her way through the large crowd of partying teenagers and all the way to the other side of the yard, she sighed, leaning exasperatedly against the front balcony.

From her position on the balcony which was lodged on the second story, a staircase leading down to the porch, she could see just about everything and everybody.

She could see Ash and Misty talking about something over by the punchbowl. She laughed at something he said, her sea green eyes bright and sparkling. Ash's eyes were also vibrant as he told her another joke that made her laugh once more. She saw Misty lean over to touch Ash's arm in an affection gesture, and he returned the gesture by smiling at her.

At the moment they were nothing more than friends, but it was so obvious they wanted to be more than that. If only Misty wasn't so stubborn, and Ash wasn't so dense… Sure, they fought at times, but they always made up in the end and they last no more than a few days. They would be so good for each other… They really did care for each other.

Dawn's heart tugged with longing as she watched them.

"Okay, everybody! A slow song is about to come on!" Kenny announced over his headphone from his spot at the DJ. "Everybody grab a partner!"

Dawn watched as the crowd assembled into couples, Ash and Misty being the first one to take the dancing pose. Although Dawn smiled at the sight, her heart shrieked with loneliness.

Just then the song came on.

"_A hundred days have made me older  
__Since the last time that I saw your pretty face"_

As Dawn shifted her attention away from her raven-haired and ginger-haired friends, she spotted Marina and Jimmy dancing together like expected, holding each other's gazes as they danced. Marina leaned her head against Jimmy's chest and he stroked her light aqua blue hair, smiling at her.

They had such a beautiful relationship; one that could last a lifetime. It was obvious how much the two loved each other, and how much they meant to each other. So beautiful, so strong, so perfect…

The loneliness clawed at her heart like her stomach did when it was hungry.

"_A thousands lies have made me colder  
__And I don't think I can look at this the same"_

Next her eyes fell on the figures of Gary and Leaf who had their back turned on each other, their arms crossed grudgingly in front of their chests. They slowly unfolded though as they hesitantly took each other's hands. Frowns were still painted on each others faces, as if unsure of what they were doing, Leaf placed her hands on Gary's shoulders and Gary placed his on her hips.

Leaf was such a sweet girl who was deserving of a strong man who loved and cared for her. Although Dawn wouldn't say Gary was the perfect man for Leaf, she couldn't deny the look she saw once in a while in his eyes that showed that he wasn't just full of arrogance and himself. A look in his eyes that showed a… _vulnerable_ (if that's the right word for it) side of him, a sweeter side of him.

_Maybe, _Dawn thought as she watched the two dance together. _The two can work it out somehow and be together._

Her heart craved for the presence of someone else.

"_But all the miles that separate  
__Disappear now when I'm dreaming of your face"_

As Dawn's gaze traveled further into the crowd of now dancing couples, she saw two individuals who were glaring at each other. She could just barely make out the movement of their lips, showing that they were actually talking to each other.

Drew looked arrogant at something he said to May, and he held out a hand for her. May growled a response at him, and turned away, huffing. As she glanced around though at the dancing couples, she saw her cast a nervous glance at Drew. Sighing, she turned back around, grudgingly taking his hand. Dawn guessed that Drew had convinced the brunette to dance with him by pointing out they were the only one without a partner. May, not wanting to be an outcast, had only agreed for that reason.

_Where had the two gone wrong? _Dawn asked herself. Immediately she answered herself. _Everything had gone wrong. They had both been jealous of each other, unable to trust each other, UNWILLING to trust the other. And so it had to end._

But maybe, if the two would just put all their jealousy and possessiveness behind, they could be boyfriend and girlfriend again. Maybe this time they could make it work.

Her heart was starving, reaching out blindly for anything that could fill its empty existence.

"_I'm here without you baby  
__But you're still on my lonely mind"_

The song was briefly interrupted but continued playing as Kenny made an announcement.

"Where's the birthday girl? Dawn, where are you?"

Dawn turned around, sighing.

She didn't want to be seen all alone, especially on her birthday. It was too sad of a thought, and too humiliating for her. It was an impossible thought, a thought she wouldn't dream of letting happen.

Tear pricked at the corner of her eyes, beginning to blur her vision, but she pushed them back. She refused to cry. She wouldn't let h herself cry on her birthday. It was just another impossible thought…

"Dawn, where are you? There's a boy who would like to dance with you," Kenny said once more over the headphone.

For a moment Dawn thought he meant he wanted to dance with her, but then remembered he was doing the music for her party. Although she planned on going back into her house and hiding away until the song ended, she couldn't help but peek a glance Kenny's way, where the DJ stand was.

Dawn's heart stopped as she saw the familiar shade of lavender and the intense onyx-colored eyes that stared right back at her, burning into her own dark blue eyes.

"_I think about you baby  
__And I dream about you all the time"_

Dawn smiled at the sight of him, her heart hammering against her ribcage as she slowly made her way down the staircase that led to the balcony. She grinned at him.

"I thought you weren't coming tonight after all," she told him, laughing lightly.

"I've been here for two hours," Paul replied gruffly back.

Dawn stared at him for a second, frowning, but then shrugged. She held out her hand, grinning once more.

"Wanna dance?" she asked, her eyes sparkling with happiness. Paul rolled his eyes, a small smirk making the corner of his mouth go up as he accepted her hand. He commented wryly:

"Shouldn't it be _me_ asking _you_ to dance?"

"I don't like waiting for someone to ask," she replied easily back. "Besides, I always ask the guy to dance."

Her confident attitude was something Paul just had to admire about her.

Paul intertwined his hand with hers, wrapped one arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him until their chests touched. Dawn looked somewhat startled by the sudden closeness, but she quickly covered up her shock by grinning up at him, a twinkle visible in her pupils.

"_I'm here without you baby  
__But you're still with me in my dreams  
__And tonight it's only you and me, yeah"_

Paul leaned in a bit until his mouth almost touched her ear.

"Happy birthday," he whispered.

Dawn smiled, leaning her head against Paul's chest, allowing herself to inhale's Paul scent once more and dance to the music with him.

The longing in her heart was fed…

* * *

It was a little past midnight when everybody finally left, burned out by the long day of partying and dancing. The only ones who stayed were some of Dawn's closest bunch of friends such as Ash and Zoey, Paul, who she somehow convinced to stay, and a few extras who she knew and was on friendly terms with such as Kimberlee and Tammy.

When everybody was settled down and wearing their nightclothes (except the guys whose "nightclothes" consisted either of boxers and sweatpants or only boxers), they gathered into Dawn's large room which was actually a master room (see, the house had two master rooms – one on the bottom floor and one in the second story).

Paul glanced around the room as he set foot into it, somehow unsurprised by the room's large size and the girliness of the room.

Her walls were white, so white they looked as if they had just been painted, and the walls were filled with posters of celebrities such as Lance and Wallace. One of her wall was actually filled with only portraits of each of her pokémon, each in their own special and unique frame. A large white drawer fit for a queen was pushed against another wall, a large jewelry box and laptop sitting on top of it with a framed mirror hanging on the wall above it.

On the wall where portraits of her pokémon hung, a canopy bed with pink covers and pink pillows was pushed against the wall, filled with stuffed pokémon of all sizes. By the bed there was a pink floor lamp, alone and independent on the salmon-colored rug.

"So girly…" Paul grumbled, cringing at all the pink.

"Oooh, I love your room!" Tammy declared, her black pigtails going up and down as gave a small bounce of excitement.

"So, what games are we going to play?" she asked, eagerly plopping down in the middle of the room.

"Wanna know what I love about your room?" Ash asked, squeezing in between Paul and Misty in the large circle on the floor. "It always smell so sweet in here!"

Like Ash had said, it did smell sweet in her room. Like strawberries actually, but sweeter…

The blunette only shrugged her thin shoulders though. Her hair was no longer in neat ringlets, but were now damp and straight from the shower she took. She also no longer wore her queen-like attire, now wearing a these short pink-checkered pajama shorts (or "boxer shorts" as they were called) and an oversized pink t-shirt with a piplup on the front.

"It's probably from all the candles I light in hear," she told him. "Last night I lit a Glade strawberry-and-crème candle."

Ash just inhaled deeply, sighing dreamily as he breathed in the scent.

"So, what should we play? Truth or Dare? Would you rather? Spin the bottle?" Misty queried.

"I don't think we should play the bottle," Marina revealed. "I mean, there's only three boys and there's like… eight girls."

"Okay, then…" She clicked her tongue. "So, lets vote! All for 'Truth or Dare', raise your hand!"

Eight hands shot up, all from the girls.

"All for 'Would You Rather', raise your hands!"

Two hands went up. Dawn noticed that Paul didn't even bother voting or raising his hand.

"Okay… Truth or Dare it is then! Now, who wants to start?"

"It's Dawn's birthday—"

"Was." Zoey corrected. It was now well past midnight.

"—so she should go first!" Ash announced.

Nobody disagreed with him. Not like anybody liked disagreeing with the lovable, childish raven-haired man anyway other than Misty who only did it to get a reaction out of him most of the time…

"Okay!" Dawn agreed, smiling. "Um, Misty! Truth or dare?"

"Dare!" she declared confidently, grinning smugly.

Dawn smiled sweetly, but a wicked gleam was present in her aqua blue eyes. She got up and walked over to one of her smaller drawers and opened it, pulling out something white with black lace rimming the top…

Misty frowned at the piece of clothing, uneasiness piling into her stomach.

"Ooh, what is that?" Ash asked, grinning excitedly. Dawn's evil grin widened and Misty's eyes widened as she got a look at the back of the underwear which was nothing more than a string. Her face paled.

"Oh shit…" she murmured, backing away.

"I dare you to put this on for the rest of the night and you have to sleep in it," Dawn told her, giggling as she threw the lingerie at the nervous carrot top.

"WHAT?" she shrieked. "Are you crazy? I'm not putting _that_ on!"

"Oh come on, Mist!" Dawn replied, laughing. "There's a first time for everything! Besides you chose _dare. _I _dared_ you to wear that for the rest of the night."

"B-But—"

"But nothing!" Dawn declared, grinning. "Now go in my bathroom and change into that thing before I drag you into there and put it on for you!"

Grumbling, Misty angrily snatched the thong from the floor, heading to the bathroom.

As Misty's grumblings died down as she slammed the door to the bathroom in Dawn's room shut, Ash turned to Dawn, asking, "What is that thing anyway?"

The girls only exchanged glances with each other giggling while Kenny shook his head and Paul just looked away, his face shaded a light pink.

When Misty returned she sat once more between Ash and May, still grumbling.

"Ugh!" she groaned. "Damn thing is up my butt crack!"

"Don't worry," Dawn told her. "They're uncomfortable at first, but you get use to them after a while!"

"Hmph! You would know…" Misty huffed.

"LEAF!" The girl's giggles died down as Misty called on her. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," The brunette replied calmly, another giggle escaping her lips. Misty glared at her, attempting to think up an evil question to ask her.

"Hm… Okay, if you could be stranded on a deserted island, naked by the way, for the rest of your life with only one hot naked guy to keep you company, who would it be and why?"

There were "oooh"s from the girl as Misty asked this question, and the ginger-haired girl smirked, waiting for Leaf's response.

Leaf's face turned a vibrant shade of pink, but she said her answer confidently. "Gary."

"Leaf likes Gary?" Dawn heard Tammy murmur to her friend, surprise evident in her voice.

Okay, so maybe it wasn't the best idea to invite the school's gossip queen to her sleepover where they would be playing truth or dare where secrets would be revealed and embarrassing things would be done, but oh well. Too late now.

"And why?" Misty insisted.

Leaf's face went a darker shade of pink.

"Because he's hot…" she murmured, in a voice barely audible. "And because I sort-of, kind-of like him…a lot."

For Ash, being the dense person he is, this was news to him and his eyes widened. Paul however just grunted, not quite as surprised at this news. Kimberlee just shrugged and Tammy looked as if she would die if she didn't tell somebody this juicy piece of gossip. Everybody else, being Leaf's friend, were not surprised the least.

"Um, Tammy. Truth or dare?"

Tammy looked thoughtful for a minute and then in her loud voice (even louder than Dawn's) declared: "Dare!"

"I dare you to quit gossiping for one whole day," Leaf told her.

The girl's eyes widened and she gasped melodramatically. "What? Quit gossiping for one whole day? B-but that's like, impossible for me! It's like the end of the world is coming! It's like… it's like the apocalypse is coming! I can't do that!"

Leaf rolled her eyes, grinning.

"Fine then. I dare you to instead go over to Dawn's window—" She pointed to the window that was on the opposite wall her bed was on. "—and confess your biggest secret as loud as you can. And you must say your name too."

"Fine," Tammy agreed, going over to the window and pulling it open. Sticking her head out the window, she took a deep breath, only hesitating for a second before screaming her biggest secret at the top of her lungs.

"MY NAME IS TAMMY GOODES AND I AM NOT A VIRGIN!"

Shutting the window once more, Tammy released a breath of air and smiled.

"Wow! I feel so much better after getting that off my chest!" she laughed, taking her seat in the circle once more. She ignored the shocked stares everybody, including her best friend, was giving her. "Okay, so lets seeee… hm…"

Ash fidgeted in his seat as Tammy's eyes landed on him for a few seconds, only to pass him and linger for a few moments of Paul and then the next person. Ash had never realized what a cruel game truth or dare could be when girls were around…

"Dawn! Truth or dare?"

"Hm… truth," she decided after a moment.

Tammy leaned forward, her eyes bright and her grin sly.

"Who was your first kiss?" she asked, listening for her answer with an eager ear. Even Paul was mildly interested in knowing who the beautiful blunette's first kiss was.

But all was silent on Dawn's part…

"I… I…" Dawn frowned, her cheeks growing hot in embarrassment. She began to wish she had chose dare instead of truth.

"C'mon, Dawn… Don't be embarrassed," Tammy encouraged. "It doesn't matter if he wasn't sexy or hot… Even if was a nerd, you can still tell us."

Dawn's frown deepened.

"I… I haven't had my first kiss yet," she admitted sheepishly, blushing madly.

All was silent. And there was a laugh.

"You almost got me there," Tammy laughed, still grinning. "Now tell us! Who was your frist kiss? And don't lie!"

"I'm not lying," Dawn insisted. "I-I haven't had my first kiss yet."

Tammy laughed some more but then she stopped, realizing the glare Dawn was giving her. Suddenly she realized Dawn was actually serious. She had never kissed a guy before.

"Oh."

A pause.

"Well… why not?" she demanded. "I mean, you've had plenty of boyfriends before! Are you saying none of them kissed you?"

Dawn shrugged, nodding.

"They weren't that serious of relationships," Dawn muttered. "They weren't big or anything…"

Everybody was still shocked at this discovery, especially Paul, even though he didn't say so out loud.

Dawn cleared her throat sheepishly.

"Erm… Ash. Truth or dare?"

Ash jumped as he realized he was called on and he began to fidget again, swallowing nervously.

"Uh… truth," he mumbled.

"Is it true you like Misty as more than a friend?"

Ash's eyes became twice as large.

"Who told you? Paul, I swear, if it was you I am going to—"

"Would you calm down you idiot," Paul growled. "It was only a question which she was asking; a question you just gave the answer away to because you're so dumb."

Ash opened his mouth to retort angrily back, but nothing came out. Closing his mouth again with a "humph!" he glared at Paul, crossing his arms stubbornly.

"Okay, yes, it may be a little true…" he mumbled, pouting.

He cringed, waiting for Misty to pound him to the ground. Much to her surprise though it never came. Realizing this, Ash quickly glanced around the room, looking for someone to pick on, avoiding Misty's gaze (who was grinning cheerfully and happily, wearing an infatuated schoolgirl look, something which would surprise Ash if he would actually LOOK her way).

"Paul!"

The plum-haired man groaned, looking annoyed.

"This is such a stupid game…" he grumbled. "Dare."

Ash placed a finger on his chin, thinking up a dare for Paul. He scanned Dawn's room again and frowned, then glanced at everybody's faces, his eyebrows furrowed together in concentration. Ash's gaze lingered on Dawn and an idea formed in his head.

"I dare you to kiss Dawn!"

There was a silence, both Dawn and Paul looking equally astonished. And then there was shouts and yells, some angry, some shocked.

"Are you crazy?" Paul growled from next to him, glaring at him.

Ash shook his head, glaring at him. "No, I'm not crazy," he replied. "I just figured that since Dawn never had a first kiss before, you could be her first kiss!"

"Ash that is a… considerate thought," Dawn replied quickly. "But Paul doesn't need to be my—"

"Like she would want a first kiss from me!" Paul retorted. "Don't you ever think, Ash? I am not kissing a girl because you fucking dared me to in a stupid, childish game."

Ash remained silent, his chocolate brown eyes observant. Then a grin broke out on the man's face.

"Oh I see," he said in a taunting voice. "You're chicken! You're too much of a chicken to kiss Dawn!"

More commotion broke out.

To say Paul was shocked by Ash's stupid claim would be an understatement. To say Paul was just annoyed by this claim would _definitely_ be an understandment.

"You're stupid," he declared.

Slowly, Ash stood up, folding his arms and placing his hands on his arm pits.

"Chicken!" Ash declared cruelly. "Bluck! Bluck!"

Paul growled, also standing up.

"Bluck! Bluck!"

Dawn stood up too, looking skittish as she said quickly, "Listen Ash, the date is pretty stupid. Maybe you should just give Paul another—"

Ash drowned out her suggestion, shrieking loudly, "Bluck! Bluck! Bluck! Paul is a chicken! Bluck! Bluck!"

Paul's teeth grinded together, and he glared fiercely at the raven-haired man, looking ready to punch the childish raven-haired man. Even Pikachu, who was recently dozing on Dawn's bed, began to wake up from it's masters horrible shrieking sounds.

"Bluck! Bluck!"

"I'm not a chicken," Paul gritted out through his teeth.

"Bluck! Bluck!"

"Shut up!" Paul barked, the annoying clucking grating his last nerve.

Ash stopped momentarily, staring at the plum-haired man. "If you're not a chicken then, prove it. Kiss Dawn."

"No—"

"Bluck! Bluck!"

"Ash, please—" Dawn begged.

"Bluck! Bluck! Blu—"

"DAMN IT, SHUT THE HELL UP ALREADY!"

Suddenly Paul grabbed Dawn by the shoulder, causing her stumble and fall into her chest. Dawn blushed madly, stumbling over her words as she apologized. Paul paid no attention to her apology though, still facing Ash.

"If it'll make you shut the hell up, then fine, I'll kiss her!"

As soon as he finished his sentence he whipped his head ahead, his lips smashing against the startled blunette's. Immediately a taste (_strawberries, a sweet strawberry taste_) began to seep into his mouth, and there was a throbbing like a heartbeat. Heat washed over him, and something that felt like an electrical current went through him.

Paul pulled his lips away from hers almost immediately after, feeling dazed and out of breath even though the kiss had only lasted for maybe a little more than three seconds.

He turned to glare at Ash, his mind still in a daze, and his eyes blazing with fury.

"Happy?" he nearly spat.

Ash just blinked at him, looking dumbfounded.

"I guess," he mumbled. He scratched the back of his head sheepishly. "It was pretty quick though…"

Paul's glare hardened and he was about to make a nasty retort but stopped when he felt movement next to him. He turned around, and for the first time, noticed Dawn's glazed eyes. He saw her stumble backward a step, and then another step until she reached the wall which she groped as if she couldn't see it.

"I…I'm going to go outside for a bit," she murmured, groping the wall until she found her door handle which she pulled open. She stumbled out of the doorway, her steps small as she made her way down the hall until she found the sliding glass door that led to the balcony on the second story.

Paul watched her as she did this, some odd… _emotion_ (he thinks that is what this odd sensation inside of him could be), clawing at his insides. He gazed at the spot he last saw her, before turning away from the spot, facing the group in front of him.

Silently, turning away from their accusing eyes, he followed Dawn.

**ooo**

"If it'll make you shut the hell up, then fine, I'll kiss her!" Dawn's eyes widened at this declaration, but before she could protest or even utter the quietest of sounds, Paul lips were against hers.

His lips burned against hers, his scent clouding her mind. Although Dawn was sure her eyes were opened, her mind was too shocked to comprehend what she saw in front of her, and as such, could only make out a lavender blur… It was only seconds, but to Dawn, it felt more like hours… days… years even. It was like time had frozen between them.

As quickly as Paul's lips were on hers, they were gone. He whipped around to glare at Ash, anger that was cold like ice but wild like fire evident in that dark abyss that was his eyes.

Dawn's eyes slowly closed as Paul's angry voice filled her mind, and like she was moving in slow motion, she tenderly placed two fingers on her lips. She licked her lower lip and she could taste him.

Her world spun, and slowly, she backed up. She took another step back, accidentally tripping on her feet as she did. She was now aware of the ten set of eyes watching her as she did this, Paul's eyes burning into hers. For a moment her heart stopped, and she panicked.

She stumbled back some more until she felt her back touch the wall. She could now see their faces clearly, although she felt as if she was in a trance. She could see Paul's face the clearest: he wore an almost unreadable expression, although his intense dark eyes which were set on her made her feel as if he was…studying her. Watching her.

"I…I'm going to go outside for a bit," she revealed in a voice that was no more than a whisper.

She groped along the wall carefully until she found her door. When she found the handle to it she opened it and walked out of the hot, stuffy room. Carefully she placed one foot in front of the other, as if she was walking on a balance beam and was afraid to fall.

Which in a way… she was.

She found the sliding glass door soon enough, and she pulled it open, feeling relieved when she felt the cold night air on her face.

She closed her eyes, leaning just slightly on the wooden balcony. When she opened her eyes she looked up, gazing at the crescent moon and the millions of silver stars that surrounded the moon. She was only out there for maybe a minute when she heard the sliding glass door open again and heard footsteps behind her.

She closed her eyes again, tensing as if to brace herself.

Somehow she knew who was out there with her.

"Paul?" she asked after a tense moment.

A pause.

She could hear the person's light footsteps and could sense his movements as he moved to the side of her, now leaning on the balcony with her, only on her right. She could feel the person's gaze burn into hers, but still she refused to open her eyes.

"Dawn."

She inhaled quietly but sharply, holding the breath.

"Dawn."

She felt his hand on her shoulders.

"What do you want?" she murmured. Her vision was still nothing but that comforting yet lonely black.

A silence.

She could hear the rustling of the bushes down below her, and the wind as it blew in her ear. She could also faintly make out the perky song of a starly. What crazy bird pokémon sings this late at night? There was also the chirp of a kricketot and the melodious music of a kricketune.

"It's okay if you're mad at me," he said.

Dawn sighed.

Finally she got tired of the use of only four senses and opened her eyes. She turned to face the man beside her, the man whose lavender bangs blew in the breeze as he stared out into the small forest that surrounded her house.

"I'm not mad at you," she replied, turning back to the night sky.

It was true. She wasn't mad at him. Maybe she did feel a little betrayed and a little hurt, but she wasn't mad. Her first kiss may have not been how she would have liked it (_and she would liked it to be on a beach or near Lake Valor, under the protection of the twinkling stars, dancing in the moonlight_), but she couldn't say she completely disapproved of the guy who her first kiss ended up being with. He was a crush of hers, after all. (_Yes, she was now done with denial; now she openly embraced the affection she felt for Paul, cherishing the warm feeling he made her feel_).

The two stayed in the tranquil silence that surrounded him, enjoying the beautiful night sounds and the thin rays of stralight and moonlight that kissed their skin.

Finally, Paul walked away, heading back into the house.

"Well, sorry anyways." He told her gruffly.

Dawn watched as he closed the door behind him, and watched through the transparent glass as he disappeared into the darkness of the house and into the light of her room where friends were chattering cheerfully about something.

Dawn turned back around, staring into the night once more.

And when everybody was asleep and it was close to dawn, she crept back into the house and carefully made her way through the path of sleeping friends until she reached her laptop, keeping as silent as a mouse as she did.

She turned the laptop on, and after opening a file titled 'Metal/Gemstone Project - English Project', she began to type.

Dawn Berlitz  
Tuesday, April 6  
English 11, Oak  
Comparison Essay

A pearl is a gemstone that is a small, lustrous sphere of calcium carbonate that is formed around a grain of sand in the ocean in organisms such as oysters. Paul Shinji was a new student at school less than three months before, but he became one of the most popular student at school due to some traits of his such as his good looks, strength in battle and his mysterious charm that lures girls in. Much like a pearl is formed around a grain of sand, Paul was "formed" around the student body. Like a pearl he is also strong, valuable, unique and has many layers, or sides, to him. Of course, these are only a few of the reasons Paul makes a great comparison to the pearl.

First of all, pearls has tough outer shells and are hard to break. This is just like Paul who shows he's no pushover, and the incredible strength his pokémon have in battle shows he trains them well. With his cold and indifferent attitude towards everyone it just shows how hard it is to get to know him. Like an oyster who is the creator of the pearl, Paul comes off as secretive and mysterious. Paul also doesn't let his emotions show very often. This shows Paul's toughness in three ways: he's tough physically, mentally and is tough to get to know or understand, compared to the pearl whose appearance is only tough.

Second of all, nobody can deny that Paul doesn't have his own unique battle style unless they've never actually seen him battle or train his pokémon. With his unique battling style and way of training Paul uses this style to beat his opponents to the ground and win his battles. This also shows how "valuable" his strength is at school with the annual Pokémon League coming up, maybe with him on our team we can win this year! This is much like how the pearl is valued for it's beauty and unique, round shape. Most of the traits Paul possesses such as his ambition to win, indifference and coldness he manages to present in a unique way.

Thirdly, inside the pearls there are numerous layers which the unique luster of the pearl comes from. Although to some people Paul may only seem like a rude jerk and nothing else, he had also showed other sides or "layers" every now and then. For example, Paul may come off as harsh and brutal sometimes but he only seems harsh and brutal because he is honest with them, and like they say, the truth hurts. Another "layer" of Paul is his softer side which he shows when necessary and proper, although it is a side of him rarely shown. His indifference and natural mysteriousness is what most of us see when we look at him and some of us are even captivated by like the fine, lustrous outer shell of a pearl may lure us into wanting it. It may not seem it sometimes, but there really is much more to Paul than that strong, cold guy persona.

For all these reasons and more, I've compared Paul to the pearl. Many people take the pearl for granted and only want it for its value or beauty. Although many may not see the greatness in Paul other than in his strength and looks, I have. People create others by making them greater than they already are, and like the oyster and the pearl, most of the time something beautiful comes out of it. Paul isn't a perfect person, but then again, the pearl, although beautiful and valuable, isn't perfect either, even if it may look so. With all these great traits (strengths, beauty, uniqueness) on his side, it's no wonder so many people have fallen in love with Paul Shinji.

_.x._

_Silver  
__Conducts electricity  
__And has a high thermal temperature  
__Like silver  
__They can feel the electricity  
__Like silver  
__They can feel the temperature rising  
__Fingers brush  
__And there is conductivity  
__No rush  
__But when together, time is flying  
__Together  
__They are like silver_

* * *

**Wow, my longest chapter so far. O.O About 31 pages! xD; Haha, the scenes after Dawn and Paul kissed seemed pretty dramatic didn't they? I wasn't trying to make it seem that dramatic, but I think it ended up that way anyway. I tried to make it sound more poetic.**

**Anyway, I'll try to update in two weeks again~ Care to leave a review? ;) *waves cookies in the air* Also let me know of any mistakes you see so I can fit them!**


	6. Crystal

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **She's the diamond: the beautiful jewel of the school. He's the pearl: his school status is built around his fan girls. Together as a couple they are platinum: malleable, ductile, and maybe over time, highly resistant to the heat around them. Ikarishipping!

_**PART ONE**_—**_Diamond and Pearl_**

**Chapter Six**

Paul read over the essay the blue-haired girl handed to him, impressed by both the girl's writing skills and the fact that somebody actually finished before him on a project. Usually he was the first one in his class to finish a project or essay they were given.

He handed her paper back to her, and she grinned anxiously, her blue eyes twice their size as she waited for his review on her essay.

"Do you like it?" she questioned. "I wrote before all of you guys woke up went home the day after my birthday party."

"It's good," Paul grunted. "Professor Oak should like it."

Dawn smiled, putting the paper back in her folder.

"Have you started your essay yet about me yet?" she questioned, sitting down on the edge of his bed, carefully not to mess up the sheets.

"Only the first paragraph is done," he responded. "I've been working on that other project in History; once I'm finished with that, I'll start concentrating more on this essay. Thinking of that project, have you started yours yet?"

"I have some information on my girl typed down," Dawn announced proudly, grinning. "Like I wrote some about Diamond's childhood, her marriage with Julius, her affair with _Paul_, her connection with the legendaries, and her opinion on the World War and why she sided with Isshu and the Orange and Sevii Islands in the war instead of with Kanto, Johto and Hoenn."

"Did you mention how she died?" Paul asked. "That is something you should add to all that information if you haven't already."

Dawn rolled her eyes, still grinning.

"I mentioned that when I explained her affair with Paul!" she laughed.

Paul grunted.

"Don't forget there's a test tomorrow in History."

"I know."

Paul began typing on his laptop, about to write the second paragraph to the big essay they had in English.

Dawn watched Paul's back, listening to the continuous _tic-tic-tic _of the keyboard as he typed.

_Tic-tic-tic._

"Have you heard the rumors that are going around in school?" Dawn asked him.

_Tic-tic-tic._

"Yes." He replied gruffly.

_Tic-tic-tic._

"They've gotten pretty out of control, don't you think?"

_Tic-tic-tic._

"You think?" He snorted.

_Tic-tic-tic._

"I can't believe people actually believe them too. They are so stupid. One person says one thing, and another person tells a totally different story. It's like playing a game of telephone."

_Tic-tic-tic._

"…"

_Tic… tic…_

"It's so stupid…" Dawn mumbled. "Why would they believe _Leaf_ would _stalk_ Gary? She may like him, but she wouldn't do anything that crazy. And then those rumors about Misty wearing thongs are about again… Of course, that isn't really a rumor. Misty have actually started to take quite a liking to them, actually."

_Tic-tic-tic._

"Have you heard the rumor people are saying about us yet?" Dawn questioned, frowning.

_Tic… tic…_

"They are saying we had—"

"I know what they are saying," Paul sighed, closing his laptop. "I'm not deaf."

Dawn remained silent for a few moments, but then she said, "One time there was this girl at school… Her name was Ursula. She wasn't exactly a friend of mine; in fact, she was a rival of mine in coordinating. She had sort of an attitude, but she wasn't really a bad person or anything.

"Anyway, one day these horrible rumors began circulating about her: that she steals, she does drugs, she's pregnant, she works as a prostitute at some bar… The rumors got out of control, and soon enough Ursula couldn't take all the lies going around about her anymore, so she left."

This last part peaked Paul's attention.

"She left?"

Dawn nodded.

"She left. The rumors and everybody who actually believed them just got to her, so she left and didn't come back."

There was a silence as both teens thought these words over.

"How did she leave?" Paul queried. "Did she start attending another school in Veilstone, did she move…?"

"She convinced her mom to move." she responded.

Silence.

"Some people are just stupid…" Paul muttered.

Dawn nodded in agreement.

"…"

Paul watched the blunette that sat on his bed, who was also watching him with those blue eyes of hers that were so hypnotic, those eyes of hers that were the color of the ocean's bottom. Such a deep, beautiful, enchanting blue…

Paul's eyes traveled away from her eyes to her small button nose, lower, until he stared at the small mouth of hers and those pale, strawberry-flavored lips.

Briefly, he remembered their kiss.

He could taste her again: that sweet, addicting taste.

He could smell her again: that delicious vanilla perfume she wore that clouded his senses.

He could feel her smooth, flawless skin again as he held her shoulder, holding her in place.

And as he remembered ending the kiss, his eyes opening once more, he could see her: those shocked, blue eyes of hers.

A flash of guilt.

He remembered hearing her again as she feebly excused herself, that dazed look in her eyes.

Two emotions, mixed together, both which confused him.

There was something about her…

Something _irresistible_, something about her that made her so _admirable_ and so _perfect_, even though he knew she was far from perfect. There was something about her that lit a fire in his heart.

"I've got to go now Paul."

Paul blinked, his mind suddenly waking up from his previous thoughts and entering reality once more. Paul realized he had been staring at the girl for much longer than he should have been, and a bit embarrassed, he turned away.

"Alright then, let's go." Paul huffed, grabbing his key, which like always, were on his dresser where he always left them.

Dawn followed behind him as he exited his room and then the house, climbing into the car on the passenger side and buckling up as he started the ignition. He backed out of the driveway, turning onto the street.

"Do you think anybody believe them?"

Paul glanced at her long enough for her to see his raised eyebrows, and the questioning look on his face.

"The rumors," she elaborated. "Do you think anybody believe the rumors?"

"Only morons," Paul responded. "Why?"

Dawn shrugged, turning away.

"No reason…" she mumbled. "It's just… well, I saw people looking at us weirdly, especially when we were together, talking. I think they may be talking about us."

"Well, in that case the whole school is filled with morons."

Dawn smiled, letting out a small giggle.

"We're here," Paul grunted, rolling into her front yard. Dawn's smile quickly faded, and she sighed, puffing out one cheek.

"Okay," she said, climbing out of the car. That playful smile crossed her face again as she waved, slamming the door.

"Bye!" she called.

Paul only smirked, heading back home.

**ooo**

When Paul arrived back home from dropping Dawn off, he found Reggie in the kitchen cleaning up the dishes and his uncle not home as usual. His older brother turned to him as he entered the kitchen, smiling.

"Home so soon?"

Paul grunted, narrowing his eyes at his brother.

"It's only a ten minute drive to her house."

"I know. I just figured you two would want to talk some more before separating ways," Reggie told him. "Or kiss or make out or do whatever teenagers do nowadays."

"Reggie you were a teenager less than five years ago," Paul retorted, snorting. "And for the last time Reggie, we're not dating."

Reggie raised an eyebrow, but continued scrubbing away at a stain on a dish.

"I'm surprised," His brother told him. "You obviously like her as more than a classmate or a friend."

"No I don't," Paul denied.

"Denial," Reggie sighed. "I'm not blind, Paul, and you would have to be blind to be able not to see that you really do like her as _more_ than a friend."

"And what makes you think I like her as _more_ than a friend," Paul asked, scowling at his older brother.

Reggie smiled, setting down the last of the plates.

"For one, you treat her differently than any other girl. Second, you treat her better than half the girls you go out with! Third, you're always smirking at something she says," Reggie smirked as he said this last bit, and Paul just glared at him, his scowl deepening.

"Fourthly, you're always staring at her," Paul tried his hardest not to flush at this one, but was unable to do so, thus his glare turning into the death glare. "And fifth… I could name numerous more reasons why I _know_ you like her as more than a friend, but I will not list all of them, if only not to humiliate you, Paul."

Paul growled at this, his hands forming into his fists as he worked to control his irritation and anger (_was he angry at him because he knew he was right?_) at his brother.

"But my last point will just be to trust me; I'm your brother, Paul. I've been in high school, I've done high school, and I've been through everything you've been through from homework to teachers from the black lagoon to crushes. You may not realize how deep your affection runs for Dawn yet Paul, but one day you will."

"Are you done?" Paul drawled sourly, still glaring at his brother. "Because if you are, I would like to go to bed now."

Reggie rolled his eyes, turning his attention to washing the counter now.

"Nobody is stopping you," Reggie replied.

Paul said nothing as he walked into his bedroom and took his shirt, changing into the sweatpants he slept in. After shutting out the lights, he climbed into his bed, guided by the moonlight.

As he closed his eyes, thoughts of a certain blue-haired beauty flooded his thoughts.

And Paul realized Reggie was right…

Maybe he did like her as more than a friend. Maybe he did yearn to be more than her friend, to be something more… _meaningful _to her. Like her boyfriend, maybe.

Paul hands dug into the sheets as he imagined that beautiful silky blue hair, those vibrant blue eyes of hers, and that smooth ivory-colored skin of hers… Her addicting scent filled his nose and he turned over, trying to forget the beautiful image in his mind.

That confident smile of hers—_(it is so addicting, it almost made him want to smile too)_—is so annoying; what right does she have to look or feel so confident?

That laugh of hers—_(why did it fill him with warmth?)_—made him nauseous, it was so high-pitched and squeaky! It sounds like a meowth getting hit by a tank!

That catchphrase of hers, "No need to worry!"—_(he smiles, the tiniest of smiles, every time he hears that catchphrase from her)_—is so stupid, so annoying. Like telling herself or anybody else that was going to make them worry any less!

She is so _(beautiful, beautiful, beautiful) _annoying. All those maddening traits she has (_her overconfidence, her optimism, her goddamn ability to smile at the weakest of pokémon and say "you did well!") _just drove him insane.

Why did she smile so much? Did she ever _cry?_

She was so stupid. Why the hell does she bother with cheerleading if she doesn't even enjoy it half as much as she pretends to? It was just a fucking hobby she had, she doesn't plan on making a career out of it.

_So stupid, _Paul thought, that image of Dawn forever burned in his mind it seemed.

So perfect. So perfect.

_She's not perfect, _Paul told himself.

Perfect. She's perfect.

_No she's not,_ Paul insisted.

Perfect…

Paul stayed silent, the image of Dawn slowly blurring as darkness and slumber took its place. When the image completely vanished, Paul began to long for it back. He hated that he longed for something as simple as an image. It was stupid.

Slowly, sleep began to overtake Paul's mind, and he dreamed.

And he dreamed of Dawn…

**ooo**

He was walking, hands in pocket. He turned his head from side to side every now and then, as if searching for something or some_one_. Unconsciously, Paul knew who he was searching for.

He walked down twisted paths in a forest, looking up every now and again when he heard the call of a starly, stopping whenever he heard a rustle in a bush. He continued walking though once he confirmed it was only a wild bidoof or some other pokémon in the bush rather than a lost, lonely girl.

Finally, the mass of trees thinned out and soon enough, disappeared as a lake that was silver in the moonlight stretched out in front of him. He could hear muffling sounds close by, and when he turned his head, he found the girl he was looking for.

Blue hair shielded her face like a veil, and she hugged her knees close to her. As the moonlight caught her face, he could see silver streaks running down her face. Tear streaks.

She was crying.

Slowly, Paul walked up to her.

He opened his mouth to speak. He asked what was wrong, but no sound came out. Paul frowned, confused. He tried again, but still no sound came out. Shaking his head, Paul kneeled down beside the sobbing blunette.

She turned around as he placed a hand on her shoulders, and she gasped, her blue eyes widening. She collapsed into more sobs, tear spilling from liquid eyes. She threw her arms around him, burying her face in his chest.

Paul watched the girl as she cried for about a minute, breathless. But then he wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back. She sobbed harder, her hands fisting as she clung onto him.

_Its okay, _he wanted to say.

She sobbed harder, trembling madly.

_Don't cry, _Paul wanted to beg her. _Don't cry, its okay._

He began to stroke her blue locks in a comforting gesture, but as he did, the strangest thing happened.

They began to _fade_.

Paul frowned, his eyes widening.

The girl before him began to fade, becoming lighter and lighter until she was nothing more than an outline in the moonlight. Soon enough even the outline faded into nothing.

Paul stared, mouth gaped open, at the space in front of him where a sobbing blue-haired girl was just a few moments earlier.

_She faded._

Where did she go? Paul wondered, feeling confused.

_What happened to her?_

He started walking again, his head also starting to swing from side to side once more. He walked along the edge of the silver lake, searching for familiar shade of blue. His mind was clouded with questions, wondering how she had vanished into thin air right in front of him.

Suddenly, he spotted her once more.

This time she wasn't crying, but she was sitting near the edge of Lake Valor, her toes soaking in the moon-drowned lake, gazing at the rippling waves with a blank expression. The wind tugged on her blue tresses.

Paul walked over to her, awe-stricken.

He stepped on a dry leaf that cracked under his weight.

She looked up, her eyes wide and alert. Her eyes widened even more when she saw it was him, but then they were back to their normal size as a smile graced her lips. She stood up rather quickly, and Paul was surprised by how briskly she was walking towards him.

As she neared him, she stretched out one hand, closing her hands when she had a fist full of his black shirt in her hand. She pulled up close to him until her chest touched his, her blue eyes lustful in the moonlight. Her eyes fluttered close though as she leaned in.

At first her lips only brushed his, but then her lips were pressed fully against his, soft, burning, sweet tasting. Heat immediately washed over to Paul, and his lips quickly responded back. He wrapped an around her waist, his fingers entangling themselves in her blue hair.

But then the same thing as before happened…

Her heat began to fade away from him, and he could no longer feel her hair between his fingers and he couldn't feel her body against his. Soon enough her sweet, vanilla scent was the only thing that lingered until that faded away too.

Paul stood in the same posture he did when he was kissing her, although there was no longer a girl he was kissing. Slowly, he opened his eyes and saw that she was gone once again.

He was flooded with confusion, his mind buzzing with questions?

Suddenly, she heard a voice: Dawn's voice.

"_PAUL!"_

She yelled his name, but he couldn't tell where the voice was coming from. There was echoes, sounding from all directions: right, left, front, back, up and down. Where was she?

"_PAUL!"_

Where was she? Why was she calling his name? Was she hurt?

"_PAUL!"_

He closed his eyes, squeezing them shut. He heard her call his name once more, and he tried to concentrate on where her scream was coming from, but was unable to do so.

"_PAUL!"_

"_Paul… Paul… Paul…" _Her voice echoed.

He opened his eyes again, and was surprised when he realized he was in the forest again, not by the lake where he previously was. He was even more surprise when he saw the crying girl in his arms.

Paul frowned.

Did he maybe imagine she was gone?

_It's okay,_ he tried to tell her, but once again no voice came out.

_Don't cry_, he begged in his mind, stroking the girl's midnight blue locks. He could feel her tears run down her cheeks and spill onto his black shirt. _Its okay, it's okay. Stop crying, stop crying already._

He tilted her chin up, staring into despairing blue eyes. Tear tracks stained her cheeks, her chin and shoulders trembling as more tears spilled from her eyes.

He kissed her, trying to comfort her.

She only cried more though, breaking away from him to cry into his chest, wailing loudly. Paul stared at the girl, his eyes sad and shocked.

Suddenly, like all the other times, her skin became lighter. Her hair became lighter, and her tears became fewer as she did too. Soon, he couldn't even feel her at all, and then, like a wisp of smoke, her entire being vanished into thin air.

Paul was beyond shocked.

Why does she keep fading and then vanishing into thin air?

He closed his eyes again, growling under his breath.

Suddenly he felt a whir, and for a second, it felt as if the world was spinning. He could hear loud chattering around him now, and he opened his eyes, shocked to find that his surroundings have changed once more.

He was no longer in a forest or by the lake. He was now at Platinum High, the hallway filled with chatting and gossiping teenagers. Paul stared around the school, his eyes wide in surprise.

He glanced at the faces of every person, looking for the familiar face of Dawn. He made his way, twisting and pushing his way through people, still glancing from side to side for that familiar vibrant shade of blue. Finally, he decided to stop and ask anybody if they've seen her.

He turned to a random girl, and asked, "_Have you seen Dawn Berlitz anywhere?"_

Paul was surprised for a minute, remembering how the previous times he attempted to speak he was unable too. His surprise only lasted a few seconds though as he felt an even greater surprise when he saw the girl he had spoken to.

It was Dawn!

But… she didn't look like her usual self.

She still had her long blue locks, and she still had the same color blue eyes, but she was different. The energy was missing from her eyes, leaving them empty and ghost-like. Her expression held the same kind of emptiness. She also wore baggy gray jeans, an over-sized black shirt and a plain jacket that was a dull blue color, compared to her usual girly, bright-colored clothes.

Paul felt his own energy get sucked right out of him as he stared at her, feeling almost lifeless as he watched her.

"_Dawn?" _he croaked.

She turned away, and for a moment Paul felt annoyed. But then spoke:

"_Dawn left."_

Paul felt cold all over as he watched as she walked through the crowded hallway, slowly fading until she disappeared once more.

_Dawn left…_

Her voice echoed in his ears, and he shivered, his hands trembling.

He felt lighter.

Paul looked down and he opened his mouth to scream in a rage, but like once before, no sound came out.

He felt even lighter, and he knew without a doubt that like Dawn, he was now fading too.

_He was fading into disappearance…_

* * *

Blue hair.

"Torterra, Leaf Storm!"

Blue eyes.

"Dodge! Now counter with Frenzy Plant!"

A kind smile.

"Crunch!"

A slender body with feminine curves.

"Behind you! Razor Leaf, now!"

A simple picture of a beautiful, popular girl at school, but to him it was an image of said girl who haunted him like a ghost almost twenty-four seven.

"Finish it with Crunch and Frenzy Plant!"

Dawn… He couldn't get her out of his mind.

"Hey, great battle Paul!" Ash yelled. Paul turned around, grunting in acknowledgement at the raven-haired teen.

"You looked sort of distracted on the battle field," Ash told him, frowning. "You also took a lot longer than I expected! Usually you would have beaten an opponent in half the time you took! Were you thinking about the math test we have today in class?"

"Yeah, sure." Paul muttered, walking.

_That test isn't even Monday… _Paul snorted.

Just then, he saw the girl who have been haunting his dreams since Monday night and who preoccupied his thoughts nearly every second of the day, since he woke up to the time he went to sleep.

She was talking to Misty, a carrot-top who was one of her main group of friends. She kept on smiling at her, laughing with her, and was hung up on every word she said.

Paul felt a smile tug on his lips as he watched her, and he turned away before she caught him staring at her. How embarrassing would that be?

Even so, images of her lingered in his mind, and his heart still felt strangely light.

He didn't stop to question why he was still thinking of her or why his heart had sped up when he saw her nor to question why he felt almost _happy _watching her. He didn't stop to ask himself why he felt happy almost every time he thought of her or saw her.

It wasn't because he want to or didn't have the time to.

It was just because he didn't want to know the answer.

"Hey Paul! Wait up!"

Paul turned around, blinking as he watched the blue-haired beauty he was just thinking of run towards him, her hair flying after and that beautiful smile of hers in place.

Paul shook his head.

Okay, seriously; so maybe he does like her a lot more than he is used to liking a girl, but did that really mean he had to look at her or think of her as a Goddess or something?

"What is it?" Paul grunted, sighing exasperatedly. He checked his watch and saw he still had two minutes to get to his next class which was P.E.

"Well, hello to you too," She rolled her eyes, but her smile remained in place. "Okay, so I was wondering if instead of going to your house like we always do on Fridays, if we could go to my house instead."

Paul frowned. "Why do you wanna go to your house?" he questioned, curious.

"My mom is going to be out of town on a date," she responded. "Besides, I figured it would be fun to mix things up for once."

Paul shrugged, checking his watch again.

One more minute…

"Fine then," he grunted. "We'll go to your house today."

Dawn's smile broadened, and she hugged him quickly before pulling away to head to her next class.

"Great!" she chirped, waving. "See you in science!"

* * *

When Paul and Dawn got home from school and entered Dawn's house, they quickly realized that her mom was already on her date.

Dawn smiled contently, dropping her backpack carelessly on the floor.

"Hey, do you want some cake Paul? There's still some left from my birthday," She took out two slices of red velvet cake from the fridge then turned to him.

He shook his head.

"No thanks," he mumbled.

Dawn shrugged, placing one back in the fridge.

"More for me then!" she chirped happily, taking a bite of the delicious cake.

She plopped down on one of her couches, a white three-cushioned couch. She smiled at him and patted the seat next to her. Paul rolled his eyes, but took the seat next to her. He opened up his history text book.

"We have a quiz Monday in history on chapter 23," he reminded her. "So I'm going to quiz you on what I think may be on the quiz."

Dawn just nodded, still eating her cake.

Paul flipped through the pages of the chapter, skimming the pages until he came up with his first question.

"Where was Queen Diamond assassinated?" Paul quizzed.

Dawn smirked. "I totally got this," she declared. "After all, this _is my girl we're talking about._ She was assassinated in the dungeon of her castle, in a secret room where she always met with Dictator Paul."

"Correct," he grunted. "Who was she assassinated by?"

"These are questions for kindergarteners," she snorted. "Dictator Raymond or 'Paul' Cavalier the Third."

"Correct. Why did Sinnoh's planned raid on Kanto fail?" he questioned next.

Dawn's eyebrows furrowed thoughtfully together, and she had to think for a few moments on this one. "Erm… Sinnoh's raid failed because Dictator Paul wasn't there because he was beheading King Julius, and also because…" She clicked her tongue thoughtfully. "…and also because Kanto was already raiding Sinnoh, burning down houses and buildings. So the raid had to be canceled because the dictator was missing and they needed reinforcements to hold off the raids from Kanto, so the raid was never going to get a chance to happen anyway."

Paul grunted his approval.

"What was the name of the servant that helped Dictator Raymond plan the queen's and king's death?"

"Um…" Dawn bit her lip thoughtfully. "What was the name of the guy Ash is doing his project on? Oh yes! The name of the servant who helped plan Diamond's and Julius's death was Fredrick… Fredrick Smithson?"

Paul nodded. Dawn breathed a sigh of relief.

"How did Raymond kill Julius?"

"He was beheaded."

"How did he kill Diamond?"

"As soon as he killed Julius, and before she had a chance to find about his cold-blooded murder, he found her and led her to the secret room in the dungeons they always went to secretly. He gave her a glass of wine that had poisoned in it, and only a few moments before she died, he told her about murdering Julius. She then told him that she never truly trusted him, but even so, she still loved him."

"And then she told him he would regret his decisions and then she died, blah blah blah. A bunch of mushy crap," Paul sighed. "I only asked how she died Dawn. You only needed to say he poisoned her by giving her wine with poison in it."

"I know," she replied. "But I just think the whole conversation was sweet in a twisted, bittersweet, tragic love story kind of thing…"

"You've got to be kidding me," Paul grumbled.

Dawn frowned. "I can't help it!" she exclaimed. "I'm a romantic! I like the ideas of opposites attracting, and tragic love stories."

"I bet you wouldn't like tragic love stories so much if one happened to you," Paul responded back.

Dawn opened her mouth as if to respond, but then closed it again, looking thoughtful, then said, "Okay, you're right. Yeah, I probably wouldn't like tragic love stories so much if one happened to me."

"Anyway, I trust you are almost done with your project in History considering they are due Thursday/Friday?"

"Already finished it," she declared. "Do you wanna see it?"

"I don't see why not," he replied, shrugging. Smiling, Dawn hopped off the couch and happily made her way to her room, gesturing for Paul to follow her

Paul entered her room, and saw that her room was still as pink and girly as it was about two weeks ago. He walked over to where Dawn stood, beaming happily at him as she held up a large poster board filled with tiny print and pictures of all sizes.

"Sit down," she ordered him lightly, giggling. "So I can present my project to you."

Obediently, Paul sat down, crossing his arms lazily in front of his chest as he waited for her to begin.

Dawn grinned as she started, "My project is on Diamond Suzanne Berlitz-Kingston, daughter of Queen Marigold and King Dominic Berlitz, wife of Julius Kingston, and secret lover of Raymond 'Paul' Cavalier the Third.

"She was also mother of Paul Kingston who later became king in 1522. Diamond was queen of Sinnoh from 1501, which was also the same year her son was born, until she was murdered in 1510.

"Diamond was only nineteen when the World War started. The moment war was declared, her father, Dominic, immediately began organizing an army, allowing Raymond, who was young and only twenty-five at the time, be the Dictator of the army in hopes of him living up to his dad's, Raymond Cavalier the Second, great name.

"Almost immediately after meeting the king's daughter, the two started secretly meeting each other, even though at the time Diamond was engaged to Julius. Even though she didn't know it, Paul, knowing she would be queen soon, was planning her and Julius's death so he could be King.

"Paul helped influence most of Diamond's decisions during the World War, such as convincing her to go through with the attack on Isshu, and allowing him to lead an attack up to Valor Lakefront where an important battle was won.

"In 1510, on the day of her thirtieth birthday, and after returning home after the victory at Acuity Lakefront, Paul Cavalier murdered King Julius and then Queen Diamond. He killed King Julius by beheading him, and then after killing him, he went to find Diamond. After the two met one last time in their secret meeting spot, a secret room in the dungeon only those two knew about, he poisoned her with a drink he prepared her.

"And that concludes most of Diamond's life. Another interesting fact about Diamond is that her son's real father was Paul Cavalier, not King Julius. She knew this, which is why she named the baby after the _real_ father."

Dawn grinned as she finished her presentation.

"So how was it?" she asked Paul, bouncing energetically on her toes. "Did you like my presentation? Did you think it was good?"

"I was impressed," Paul admitted. "You should probably explain the pictures on your poster though."

"Oh right," She rolled her eyes. "Well, this is a picture that was painted of Diamond Berlitz the day she became queen—"

She pointed to the picture of a woman with long, flowing golden curls that framed her face, a huge crown embedded with jewels of all kinds, on her head. For two people who shared the same last name, Diamond and Dawn looked nothing alike. Paul wasn't even sure why he expected the two to look alike.

"—this is a picture I found of another painting I found, this time of the battle at Valor Lakefront, a battle which Diamond ordered—"

She pointed to a picture of dirtied and fighting soldiers, blood staining the ground, and a shimmering lake barely visible in the corner of the picture.

"—And this final picture is a picture of Diamond and Paul meeting in their secret room in the dungeon."

She pointed to the last picture on the poster board, this one a painting of the same girl with golden curls, her hands began tenderly held by a man with dark shoulder-length hair who was gently staring into the Queen's sea-green eyes. Around them the walls were a dirty gray color.

Paul nodded in approval.

Dawn walked out of her room again, and Paul following, glancing one last time at the girly room.

"Do you want something to eat?" she questioned. "It's already almost seven o'clock. If you want, I can cook you something to eat."

Paul shrugged. "Doesn't matter to me," he responded. "Just as long as you don't burn the food, or poison it."

Dawn rolled her eyes, taking out a medium-sized pot and a package of ramen.

"In that case, I'll just make ramen then," she responded. "It's like the simplest meal to make after all. Anyway, aren't you supposed to be quizzing me some more on that History quiz on Monday?"

"I'm sure you'll do just fine," he responded.

"If you say so," Dawn giggled. "But if I flunk my quiz, know I'm going to blame you, got it?"

"Whatever."

Dawn's eyebrows furrowed together in annoyance of his indifference attitude, but she just turned back to the boiling pot of ramen, listening to it hiss as she stirred it.

"So, when is your birthday?" Dawn asked randomly.

"Why do you wanna know," he replied back.

She narrowed her eyes at him, almost dangerously, but then said, "Because I might want to give you a birthday present. Didn't you say it was in June? Let's see, I know I have the day of your birthday in that one interview sheet…"

"It's the twenty-sixth of June," Paul sighed.

"Really? So your birthday is after mine; that means I'm older than you buy a few months!" She turned towards him, grinning almost teasingly.

Paul smirked. "Try again. Didn't you just turn seventeen? I've been seventeen for about ten months now; I'll be turning eighteen my next birthday."

Dawn frowned at this, huffing as she turned back to her ramen. She began stirring it again in silence. Her stirring began to slow though, and soon enough, it came to a halt altogether.

"Wait – if you've been seventeen for that long, wouldn't you be a senior by now?" she questioned.

Paul shook his head. "No. I went into school a year later than I was suppose to."

"Why?"

Paul was silent for a moment. He saw Dawn turn around, frowning, as if to see what have made him so silent. For a moment the world stopped around him and time paused.

"My mom died."

Her saw her shoulders drop, sympathy clouding her eyes along with a little regret, knowing she had hit a soft spot.

"Oh."

"And because my father went away," He just shrugged indifferently though.

"Your… father went away?" She frowned, confused. "But your father is still with you, isn't he?"

"Cyrus isn't my dad," Paul retorted back, sharper than he intended. He saw Dawn flinched, but paid no attention to that, continuing fiercely:

"Cyrus is my mom's younger brother, my uncle. My real dad abandoned me and my brother when I was five because he was so upset over my mother's death," He nearly spat out the last words.

He saw Dawn flinch again, more sympathy clouding her eyes.

"I'm so sorry," She told him. She then added hesitantly, "That must have really sucked. It must have like losing both your mom and dad at the same time."

Paul snorted scornfully.

She turned off the stove, allowing the ramen to cool down a bit before pouring it into bowls.

"Yeah, except my mom never would have abandoned me, even if my dad did die. My dad did, however, because he was a coward. He couldn't bear the thought of raising his children who looked exactly like his wife," he sneered. "My dad abandoned us, and then my brother who was only eleven at the time, had to take care of me until Cyrus finally took us in."

He saw Dawn's hand clench together until her knuckles turned white, her eyes sad and sympathetic, something which annoyed Paul. She unclasped her hands, and began walking towards Paul.

"Five is a horrible age to lose someone that you love," Dawn mumbled.

"What would you know about it?" Paul snapped, his anger beginning to rise. He saw Dawn flinch again, and he watched as she shakily ran a hand through her hair.

She took a seat next to him, and his hand in hers. He jerked them away, but she grabbed them again, glaring sternly at him as she intertwined their fingers together.

"I… I also lost somebody when I was five," she told him. "My dad. He died on a journey after getting in the way of a poison attack."

The anger faded.

"He didn't have any antidote with him at the time because he was out of them and he was going to the pokécenter to stock up on some more when he accidentally wandered into an Ariados's web. The pokémon attacked him with multiple poison attacks, and since my dad didn't have a cure and nobody was around – he was in Eterna Forest at the time – he died."

Dawn shifted uncomfortably in her seat, and she pulled her hand away from hers, running another hand through her blue locks.

"I know I didn't also lose my mom when my dad died, but I just figured I should tell you that," She offered him a small smile. "I mean, we both lost somebody we loved when we were young; that's something we can relate to, I guess."

Paul gave a small grunt in response.

"Your friend, Kenny, told me you use to live in Twinleaf, but then you moved to here in Veilstone. Did you move here because your dad died?"

"Partly," Dawn admitted. "We moved here when I was in second grade though, a few years after my dad died actually. Most of my friends, such as Misty and May, also moved here. Like Misty use to live in Cerulean City in Kanto, Zoey use to live in Snowpoint City, May in Hoenn…"

"I use to live in Snowpoint," Paul mused.

"Really? Do you move a lot?" she questioned.

He nodded. "My uncle is head of this company called 'Galactic', so he is always on the road along with his business. Before my mom died I lived here in Veilstone, then when I began living with my uncle we moved to Floaroma City, stayed there a year, then moved to Eterna City. Before I moved here again, I lived in Snowpoint for about a year and a half, and then Solaceon before that."

"How comes he has to move a lot? Is he looking for something for his business?" she queried.

"He wants to get information on legendary pokémon. Currently he's trying to gather information on the Lake Trio," he responded.

"Mesprit, Azelf and Uxie," Dawn recalled the name of the legendary pokémon. "They are said to live in the three lakes of Sinnoh: Mesprit in Lake Verity, Azelf in Lake Valor and Uxie in Lake Acuity."

Paul nodded.

For a moment the two said nothing, their eyes gently boring into the others. He could feel Dawn's uneasy shifting as she clasped and unclasped her hands together. Then she stood up, walked over to the couch she was sitting on when they first got here, and peeked out the window.

"It's foggy outside," she murmured, breaking the silence. Paul walked over to the couch and looked outside the window too, seeing the white wisps outside that fogged the window.

Another silence cloaked the two, and as he gazed thoughtfully out the window, he could feel Dawn's gaze on him. Suddenly, she laughed.

"I remember when you first moved here, you hated me, but now… we're sort of like friends, aren't we?" she said softly.

He made no comment on the 'friend' idea, for he knew he wanted to be more than friends with her, no matter how much he wanted to deny it.

"I didn't hate you," he responded.

"Oh really," she replied back, grinning. "When I went up to introduce myself to you, you acted like I thought I was the Queen of Sinnoh or something. Why is that?"

"I've moved to a lot of different places and been to a lot of schools," Paul responded. "Most of them had some snobby, rich, popular girl in them. I hate girls who are like that just because they are rich and popular. I guess I figured you would the snobby, rich, popular girl here in Veilstone."

"So you did hate me," she joked lightly.

"Not really," he insisted. "To be honest, when I first met you, there was something about you that… fascinated me, I guess you can say."

"Oh really?" she said lightly, scooting closer to him. "What fascinated you about me?"

Unconsciously, Paul mimicked her and scooted closer to her.

"I don't know," he mumbled. Dawn waited patiently, locking a blue strand behind her ear. "You just… seemed different to me."

The corner of Dawn's lips turned up in a small smile. "There was something different about you too when I first met you," she whispered. "That's why you fascinate me most of the time."

"Mm. But you were so sweet and kind when I met you, so voluntary to go up to the new kid and help in any way possible. Yet, at the same time, you were also feisty, defending your ways. And then you went up to me again, trying to make amends with me; anybody else probably would have gotten fed up with my rotten attitude first time around, or if it was a girl, would have just wanted a date with me so we can 'make amends'."

He paused for a second, collecting his thoughts.

"You are always bubbly, optimistic, helpful, always looking the best solution, you're skillful and smart," His eyes began to burn into her eyes like embers in a fireplace. "And you're always being so damn annoying, you're so over-confident, and stupid, always pressuring yourself with grades and cheerleading, and always smiling. It makes you seem so… so…"

_So perfect…_

He frowned, feeling annoyed. Dawn only smiled though, her cheeks painted a rosy pink.

"And you find all that… _fascinating_ about me? That I can be bubbly, smart, stupid, over-confident and annoying all at the same time?" Her eyes were warm as she said this.

Paul remained silent, allowing his insides and thoughts to melt as he gazed into those warm blue eyes of hers. The world around him felt slow, unable to keep up with the beating of his heart.

Dawn moved her hand a few inches, accidentally brushing hers against his. She blushed, but it was barely noticeable. He was paying more attention to the invisible electricity that crackled between them, stealing their breath away from them. He saw her take a small breath as she scooted closer to him, so close their faces were separated only by a few inches.

Paul felt his hand twitch as he saw her eyes closed, the air around him that once provided him with life beginning to suffocate him. He felt himself lean in, feeling a yearning deep inside of him, a tug on his heartstrings.

Briefly he imagined his lips on hers once more, and warmth flooded through him, fire blinding his vision.

He leaned in closer, their lips almost touching. He could feel her hot breath blowing on him, and knew she could probably feel his too. As he breathed in her scent, he could feel his emotions for her growing stronger, more rampant, more savage.

For a moment, he felt blind by the feelings.

He wanted to kiss her like he would never kiss any other girl, hot and wild. He wanted her to kiss him like that too, tugging on his purple locks, breathing words in his ears:

"_I love you. I love you."_

Suddenly, he felt scared by these wild desires he felt for Dawn, and he backed away from her, his lips no longer near hers. He still felt hot and sweaty, those emotions still stirring inside of him. He felt dizzy from the strong emotions, and he squeezed his eyes shut, willing the desires and thoughts away.

_Bang!_

Dawn's eyes snapped open and she moved away from Paul, all the way to the other side of the couch, as her mother busted in. Her mother turned towards the two, frowning at first, and then smiling when she saw Paul.

"Ah! You're Paul, right? You're the kind man who is tutoring Dawn in history!" She walked over to the plum-haired man, holding out a hand. '"I'm Dawn's mom, Johanna."

Paul shook her mom's hand, feeling somewhat flustered and embarrassed. "Pleased to meet you…" He mumbled. He glanced at Dawn through the corner of his eyes, and saw that her face was flushed the color of a tomato.

"It's so nice to finally meet you!" Johanna told him, smiling kindly. "She has a B in History now, thanks to you. I cannot thank you enough for helping my daughter with that class."

"Err, glad to help," Paul replied sheepishly.

_I bet you wouldn't be so glad to meet me or kind to me if you knew what I was just fantasizing with your daughter, _he thought to himself.

"I should be going now," he said. "It's late."

Johanna nodded in understandment. "Pleased to meet you! Drive safely, now!"

Paul nodded to show he heard her, and then closed the door behind him, not even daring to glance at Dawn one last time, for her image was already burned into his mind.

**ooo**

When he got home he got into the shower, allowing the ice-cold pellets to pelt his back, letting the coldness run and slide down his body. Even then, the images still burned in his mind.

When he exited the shower, he jumped into bed, throwing the covers over his head as if that would help him escape the images that haunted him. He twisted and turned, hot and sweaty. He felt like he did when he had a fever.

Finally, he climbed out of bed, sighing.

He took out his laptop, opened one of the documents, looked at the tiny print already typed and then deleted it. He started typing, one girl on his mind the entire time.

Paul Shinji  
Friday, April 16  
English 11, Oak  
Comparison Essay

A diamond is one of the most sought after gemstones, being beautiful, popular amongst people, the hardest mineral on earth, being "unbreakable", and as some may even describe the diamond, are "perfect". I could list numerous reasons why Dawn Berlitz is just a diamond. One reason is because diamonds are popular amongst individuals, just like Dawn is popular amongst her schoolmates. They also both have characteristics graded on by the 4 C's. There are also people who think diamonds are flawless and perfect, just like there are people who believe as Dawn being perfect. Being popular, having their own 4 C's to categorize themselves, and being "perfect", those are only a few of the reasons why I'm comparing Dawn to a diamond.

Now to start off, it's no secret Dawn is popular at school. It is also no secret diamonds are one of the more popular, if not the most popular, gemstone. Many people like a diamond because of its beauty and uniqueness. At our school many people like and admire Dawn for her beauty and originality with her appeals in contests. Like a diamond, she is popular with people of all age groups – from little kids to teenagers to the elderly, both Dawn and the diamond are popular with them.

Next, Dawn is like a diamond in that she can be characterized based on 4 C's. A diamond's 4 C's are simple – carat, clarity, color and cut. Dawn's 4 C's are charm, courtesy, confidence and courage. Those traits Dawn have make her both well-liked and desirable, just like with the diamond's 4 C's. People like diamonds that have a better cut, have more carats, or that have no color just like most people like someone who is charming, or they may like someone who is more courteous. Meanwhile others may be fonder of someone who is more courageous or confident.

Lastly, I'm comparing Dawn to a diamond, for like diamonds they are both falsely considered "perfect" at times. Not all diamonds are perfect, for they may bear tiny scratches that make them appear cloudy which are then marked as a "flaw", making them "imperfect". Dawn has many traits that work for her such as the 4 C's mentioned above, but the 4 C's also name some of her imperfections, such as her over-confidence. Like some diamonds don't have great clarity, Dawn has too much confidence at time which may be the reason she lost in the first place. Even though some ignore it, the characteristics that make her likeable and desirable also marks some of the imperfections she has.

Many fail to see a diamond's imperfections, but those who usually do see the diamond's imperfections dismiss the diamond immediately and they no longer like it. Most are either blind to the diamond's imperfections or no longer like the diamond for its imperfections, but there is not many who can see the diamonds imperfections and still like it. Only those who truly love the diamond and are dedicated to it can accept its flaws, just like Dawn's friends and families are dedicated to her event though at times they may find her busy schedule a bit frustrating. They can see a diamond's imperfections and still call her perfect, because to them she is perfect. Dawn truly is like a diamond: popular, beautiful, valuable and "perfect"…

_.x._

_Their feelings are crystal clear  
__But is it true love they fear?  
__It is like patterns  
__In the stars  
__A feeling everybody yearns  
__To feel  
__But is it real?  
__Clear to see  
__And sharper than a thistle  
__But is it real?  
__Like great clarity  
__It's clear to see  
__But they want to know  
__What they feel  
__Is it real?  
__It's like patterns in the night  
__If seen in the right light  
__Sharper than a thistle  
Love…__  
__It's just like crystal_

**Okay, so I keep on forgetting to mention this, but a few chapters ago I changed a few minor things in chapter one, such as the name of some of the teachers and I also changed Cyrus from being Paul's dad to his uncle for both plot and canonicity purposes. Not anything too major, but just thought I should clear that up in case anybody was confused about that.**

**Anyway, I added a lot of foreshadowing in the past two chapters, especially in this one. If ya want, you can try to pick out the little foreshadowing hints I added in here and try to predict what's gonna happen in future chapters, 'cause trust me something BIG is gonna happen in a few chapters (and no, by "big" I don't mean Dawn and Paul getting together haha). **

**Anyway, feel free to review~ ;) I would love to hear everybody's opinion on this chapter. So, um, get me to 95 reviews? (Maybe even 100? *doubts it* xD)**


	7. Ruby

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **She's the diamond: the beautiful jewel of the school. He's the pearl: his school status is built around his fan girls. Together as a couple they are platinum: malleable, ductile, and maybe over time, highly resistant to the heat around them. Ikarishipping!

_**PART ONE**_—**_Diamond and Pearl_**

**Chapter Seven**

"Three, two, one! Lets go!"

Clapping could be heard from the field as the Veilstone High School's Azelf cheer squad practiced their cheer routine, the girls climbing on top of each other as they formed a pyramid. Dawn watched with an observing eyes, arms crossed.

"Guys, we need to do this _faster!_ It can't take us five minutes just to do a simple pyramid!" she called out.

"Well, it's not exactly easy," Tammy called back, shooting a glare her way.

"I know this routine isn't easy," she sighed. "But I'm sure Alicia, Daisy, Lily and Katie—" They were the name of the four freshman girl who were the base of the pyramid and had to pretty much support the other six girls on top of them. "—would appreciate it if they didn't have to support you all for that long."

"Agree," One of the freshman girls huffed.

"From the top!" Dawn called out, earning more groans from the cheerleaders.

How did she get stuck with the most ill-tempered cheerleaders the world have ever known?

"Can't we have a break?" Tammy huffed. "We've been doing this routine for like… an hour! This is like, the seventh time we've done this!"

"Fourth time," Dawn corrected.

More grumbles and wails from the cheerleaders followed.

"Fine, fine!" Dawn finally gave in, rolling her eyes. "We can have a five minutes break, but nothing more! As soon as the five minutes are over you're gonna get your butt back over here and practice that routine until it's perfect!"

Just then a girl with cropped, messy hair as red and bright as a tomato wearing a deep crimson-colored shirt with sleeves that reached to her elbow and faded denim shorts appeared from behind her.

"You know, you really shouldn't be so tough on them," Zoey laughed lightly. Dawn rolled her eyes, turning around to face her tomboyish friend.

"I hardly call that being tough," she snorted. "Honestly, we've been practicing this pyramid routine for the past week and _hardly_ any progress. If you ask me, I'm going nice on them."

"I heard the pyramid was one of the tougher cheerleading routines," Zoey mused pointedly.

Dawn waved her hand dismissively.

"Mm," she grunted, taking a sip of from her cold water bottle. After drinking her fill, she wiped her mouth and responded, "We're cheerleaders. We're tough. This routine is nothing we can't handle."

"Really," Zoey mumbled, pursing her lips together. "The way you're acting, some would think you thought otherwise."

Again, she waved her hand dismissively.

"Meh, that's just my patience wearing down to nothing," she laughed. "But we'll get the routine done to perfection soon enough; I'm confident we will."

"So did anything _spicy_ happen between you and Paul last night?" Zoey asked, grinning slyly.

Dawn blushed, but shook her head.

"No. He just helped me study for the big History finals Ms. Shirona is planning."

"Did you two _really_ almost kiss though?" Zoey asked, quietly, that way only they could hear.

"Mhm!"

"For real?"

She nodded.

Zoey smirked teasingly. "Glad to see you're pass your denial state."

"Well, I really do like him," she murmured, smiling as she pictured his face in her head.

"I can tell."

"I am almost certain he likes me back too," she whispered, eyes vibrant and bright as she bit her lower lip in a shy, girlish manner. She looked like one of those giggling, infatuated girl who had just been complimented by her long-time crush/love.

"If you're certain he likes you back, why don't you ask him out then?"

Dawn gave her a look that made Zoey just wonder if she had slapped the girl by mistake and only thought she had suggested something that seemed reasonable to do. The open-mouthed, wide-eyed look Dawn gave her suggested she may have just been slapped by somebody, or as if she had just been deeply offended.

Zoey frowned. "…What?"

"I said I was _almost_ certain he likes me back, not that I was _certain_ he likes me back!" she exclaimed in a hush-whisper back, glaring at her.

The tomboy rolled her eyes, smirking. "Dawn, _almost certain _is good enough. Besides, if you ask me, if you two almost kissed again – this time without any crazy truth or dares involved or Ash grating on Paul's nerves – then he probably likes you."

"Probably doesn't mean certainly," Dawn sniffed, crossing her arms.

Zoey's eyes hardened as she turned to glare at the blue-haired girl who sat right beside her on the platforms where a wide vast of green grass stretched before them and sunny blue skies stretched as far as the eye could see with not a cloud the eye could see.

"Really, Dawn? Really?" she asked.

The blunette sighed, shoulders drooping. "There's another reason I don't want to ask him out," she replied, turning her eyes upward to the perfect blue skies. "And it's not just because of my ego," she added sourly.

"What is it then?" Zoey questioned, quite indifferently.

Dawn bit the inside of her cheek, her lips puckering thoughtfully as she fought with herself in whether or not to voice her second reason for not wanting to ask Paul out. Finally, she decided she would, considering Zoey was her trusting friend who could be whatever Dawn needed her to be at the moment, whether it be a helpful mentor, a supporting sister, or just a good friend.

"I don't wanna ask him out because then I would just be like every other girl to him," she told her.

"Every other girl? Care to explain why or how," Zoey asked, chuckling.

Dawn frowned at this, her perfectly smooth face wrinkling as her eyebrows burrowed together. She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"I would be just like every other girl who asked him out and it just wouldn't work," Dawn explained. "He wouldn't like me anymore. I just know he wouldn't He may give me a chance, but then within a day he would drop me for being just like every other girl."

Zoey's own forehead wrinkled as she raised an arched brow in confusion.

"Paul never asks a girl out," Dawn explained further. "They all ask him out. So if I ask him out I'll be just like every other girl desperate for a date with him."

"So, let me get this straight…" Zoey said, speaking slowly as she allowed Dawn's words to sink in further. "You think Paul will like you no more… for asking him out… because then you would just be like every other girl who have ever asked him out?"

Dawn nodded.

Much to Dawn's surprise, the red-head laughed.

Loud and raucously.

"Zoey," Dawn hissed, glaring at her friend.

Zoey just continued laughing, now wiping at her eyes as tears trickled from them. "I can't believe the things _you_, the Great Almighty Diamond of the School, _Dawn_, worry about!"

Dawn flushed furiously, but this time it was rather out of being called the Diamond of the School. She hated it when people called her that, because in her opinion the title sounded to deserving to be given to such an imperfect person such as herself. She felt that there were more deserving people in her school who actually stood up to that great name that suggested greatness and flawlessness.

"I'm serious," Dawn exclaimed in that same hushed whisper. She was glaring at her friend whose laughter had finally died down to hiccups and a few chuckles every now and then. "I think the only reason Paul likes me, _if_ he likes me, is because he thinks I'm different; because I treat him differently."

Zoey snorted. "Dawn, Paul likes you, okay. We just don't know if it's in a friend manner or if it had grown beyond that yet," As an afterthought she added, "Funny he would consider you different just for claiming him as he is straight to his face on the first few weeks. Which reminds me, I've been meaning to ask this lately, but have been acting like a person with a stick-in-his-ass lately around you?"

Dawn thought about this for a moment, and then shook her head. "No. Not really. He has actually been pretty… _tolerable _to be around since we've become friends." She smiled after she said this.

"Yep; he definitely likes you," Zoey concluded, earning another glare from Dawn.

"Oi, were you guys just talking about Paul?" Tammy questioned, only about a few feet away from them. Dawn blushed at this remark, and Zoey nodded.

"We were just discussing this funny event that happened while Dawn was at Paul's house, tutoring her," Zoey lied easily, smiling at the pig-tailed girl.

She smiled, satisfied.

"_Paul," _she sighed, smiling, as she took a seat next to them on the bench. "You know, he is so weird. And mysterious. But cool. I envy you Dawn, I truly do; you and Kimberlee, of course."

Dawn smiled, almost a wrinkle of confusion appeared in her forehead. "Ah… Um, why do you envy me, exactly? …And Kimberlee?"

Tammy laughed, her laughter ringing like chimes.

"Because you're like, his best friend. His best girl friend, anyway. And because you get to hang out with a hunk like him after school so he can tutor you," She giggled this time. "And I envy Kimberlee because she gets to date him. Man, I know Kimberlee is my friend and all, but even so I can't help but envy her every time I see her holding hands with that delicious man-candy, Paul…"

Dawn nodded, distractedly, but slowly, as Tammy's words began to sink in, she came upon a rather obvious realization that had just been stated.

And she frowned.

"Wait – Paul is dating Kimberlee?" she asked, both eyebrows raised in shock.

"Mhmm!" Tammy nodded, grinning. "For one week now!"

Dawn frowned, still confused.

She began to remember Kimberlee with her long chocolate-colored tresses and those rare, mystifying eyes that were that deep shade of eggplant purple… She was a rather pretty girl with high cheek-bones and perfect curves that made her body resemble an hourglass.

Kimberlee always struck her as a smart but kind person, always mature and on her best of behavior, always in control of a situation and so professional and friendly with anybody and everybody. She was hardworking, straight-A student and well-liked by everybody in the school as far as Dawn knew. She was also a tough trainer with some strong pokémon such as a Gengar and a Slowking plus other high-leveled and impressive pokémon.

As Dawn thought about the young girl, she realized that she was one of the persons she was thinking of when she felt more people better deserved being called something as great-sounding as the "Diamond of the School".

Although Dawn greatly liked and respected Kimberlee, she couldn't help but feel a little twinge of jealousy as she thought of a girl as near-perfect as her dating Paul.

"She has been dating him for a week…?" she murmured, frowning. Tammy confirmed this news again with a nod.

Dawn's eyebrows furrowed together, and the jealousy increased. Mixed with the jealousy was anger and… betrayal even.

"Paul never told me this," she murmured sourly. The knot of anger grew rapidly inside of her and before she knew she called out to the other cheerleaders, "Practice is over! You are all dismissed!"

There was almost venom in her words, but she managed to control her voice and anger enough not to sound as if she had just been bitten in the ass by some krabby.

Dawn rushed into the locker room, blue hair flaring behind her, as she turned the combination to her lock and hurriedly got dressed into the sleeveless black scoop neck and shamelessly short denim cut-offs she wore this morning, pulling her hair out of it's previous ponytail and letting it flow down her back.

Every morning before school, from the crack of dawn at around six o'clock to fifteen minutes until the bell was about to ring for school to begin, which was at nine o'clock, the cheerleaders had cheer practice. But now it was only a little after eight and she had already dismissed practice to give a certain plum-haired boy a piece of her mind.

Of course, it never occurred to her to stop and think, 'Hey, what time does Paul to school anyway?'. Luckily (or perhaps unfortunately) for her, the plum-haired man was one of those few students who actually got to school early, if only just to read peacefully in the library before school officially began.

Peaceful reading wasn't what he was going to get this morning though.

As soon as Dawn spotted that familiar shade of plum-purple, her anger flared inside of her, and she began to quickly stride towards him, however she soon realized that this approach with him wouldn't do and quickly adjusted it to an innocent walking pace, a smile painted on her face. Even so, the atmosphere she gave off was one of a demonic-and-chaotic angel rising down from Heaven, a rebellious pitchfork in hand with red horns and a long tail to match.

"Paul!" she called loudly and cheerfully, earning him and a few other students curious glances as she shouted his name. She smiled at all of them, that chilling atmosphere still around her.

Paul raised a perfectly arched eyebrow at her, and her smile only grew so much bigger and more innocent. Her face was simply angelic.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned. "Don't you usually have cheerleading practice in the morning?"

"I decided to give the girls a break for once," she responded quickly, smile never faltering. "So, um, what are you up to this morning?"

The question was innocent, yet even so, Paul couldn't help but feel suspicious.

"I was heading toward the library?"

"Ah! The library!" Dawn sighed. "Do you have friends there or something?"

His arched eyebrow rose even higher. "I go there to read?"

"Oh. Really. Which book are you reading?" she asked, not interested in the slightest what book he was reading.

"A horror novel," he replied. "'Reality Nightmare' by C.J. Kelley."

"Isn't that book about some teenagers being trapped in a haunted hotel with a murderer trapped inside with them, and their only hope is a mischievous Gengar?" Dawn asked.

"You read the book?"

"Nope. Saw the movie."

"Ah."

_This is getting nowhere, _Dawn decided, sighing mentally.

Her anger was quickly fading away and she clung desperately to the last ounce of her jealousy left, reluctant to leg go of it until she had properly made a dramatic scene by yelling and screaming his betrayal in his face. Well, okay, maybe not scream at his face… or made a dramatic scene, actually… Pouting and looking truly hurt and betrayed should work his conscience perfectly fine.

"So what did you do over the weekend?" she questioned, smiling, another supposedly innocent question.

He shrugged. "Train, mostly. Saw a movie with a friend, nothing too important."

"…_Saw a movie with a friend…"_

It was upon that sentence Dawn realized she never actually heard Paul say the word 'friend' all too much, for hearing it from his mouth made Dawn's head buzz with a kind of confusion that gave her a headache. With that sentence she also realized how rarely Paul even recognized that he even had friends.

And he saw a movie with a friend…?

"What movie did you see?" she questioned.

He shrugged again. "Some romance-mystery movie she wanted me to go see with her," he responded. "There was actually a lot of action in it, so it wasn't that bad of a movie, even with all the romance…"

_She… her…_

He definitely went to see that romance-slash-mystery-slash-action movie with Kimberlee. Dawn's teeth grounded together at this thought and she fought to keep a sour scowl from gracing her features.

"Her…?" She mused through her teeth. "Who was this _friend_ of yours?" She put extra stress on friend for a reason, and Paul clearly saw that.

He clearly knew that she was forcing and dragging the answer out of him, and that was exactly what she have been attempting to do since the five minutes she have been here.

"Kimberlee?" Dawn was pissed at how he made his answer sound like a question, and silently she seethed in her mind, her anger and jealousy returning and resurfacing.

Somehow she still managed to look and sound as sweet and sultry as always.

"Kimberlee, huh?" She laughed lightly. "Are you dating her? Because if so, you never told me you were…" She raised an eyebrow, her head tipping to the side.

"I've been dating her for a week," he replied flatly.

How Dawn wanted to strangle him for sounding so indifferent to the topic when she felt like a volcano about to erupt due to the topic.

"And still… you never told me," she laughed lightly, even though she pointedly added a hint of hurt in her voice.

"Is there something you want?" He asked in that flat voice as before. Dawn fought the urge to slap him. "Because if so, I suggest telling me what it is before I ditch you here to go to the library."

_You can't ditch me, _Dawn thought indignantly. _I'll just follow you to the library!_

Of course, she didn't say this out loud.

"How come you never told me you were dating Kimberlee!" She meant for the question to come out sounding angry and commanding, but instead it ended up sounding like a childish whine.

He stared at her for a moment as if deciding whether to label her an insane person or somebody who is simply stupid.

"Since when do you care to know who I date?" he asked, a hint of annoyance and impatience in the words. "You never told you about anybody else I was dating, and you didn't care."

Dawn flushed brighter than Zoey's hair at this remark. She crossed her arms angrily in reply, puffing out one cheek and she pointedly turned her back on him to hide her red-slowly-fading-to-pink face.

"Who said I cared?" she sputtered, her face going pinker.

"Well, you're certainly acting like you care," Paul responded back honestly, shrugging carelessly.

"You are so arrogant," she declared, scoffing. She shot one last glance at him before marching off in a huff in the opposite direction he was going.

Paul was just left staring after the raging blunette, frowning and confused along with a little bit of annoyance that was due to mainly how confused he felt at what just happened.

"What's with her?" he muttered, before continuing his walk to the library.

**ooo**

That very same day Dawn spent most of her time glaring and glowering at Paul, who she now noticed sat with Kimberlee alone at a table not too far away at lunchtime. In fact, for Dawn he was in perfect glaring distance.

All day (or at least that's how it felt to her since she found out they were dating), she had to watch the two make gushy-mushy faces at each other (which were actually simply look of fondness they shot each other once in a while), call each other nicknames (Paul called Kimberlee, "Kim" which wasn't that big of a deal, really) and eat the other's faces off as they made out (this was the biggest exaggeration Dawn had made by far, for she labeled it as "eating the other face off" when all Kimberlee did was peck him on the cheek in a gesture of goodbye as they parted ways for a class they did not share together).

It gave Dawn a sick feeling to watch the two, and her stomach churned with envy every time she saw the two walk by, holding hands with each other.

Dawn was relieved when school was finally over, and she was free to go shopping with May, Misty and Leaf (only those three because Zoey, being the tomboy she is, already had her "dress" [or a skirt and tank top picked out more like it…] and Marina had a date with Jimmy), for the Spring Dance that was coming up, the second to last dance of the school year (Prom being the last, of course).

Dawn was thankful it was a Tuesday which meant she didn't have to deal with hanging out at Paul's house after school, meaning she didn't have to listen to him talk about Kimberlee the entire time she was there.

Deep down, she knew she was being irrational. I mean, _hello! _This was Paul she was talking (or rather thinking…) about: the cold, indifferent, almost-stoic man who was honest and had harsh opinions, but in no way was one to gush about a relationship he was in.

"You know, I've never seen you this way before," Misty commented from behind Dawn who was sitting in the passenger seat. "Since when did _you _get jealous over a girlfriend Paul had?"

"Since when does it matters," she muttered bitterly.

Misty glared at her, continuing, "I mean, when Tess asked Paul out and he said yes you were mad at him, but you weren't jealous. You simply just thought he was a cruel asshole who lived to make your life miserable."

"Well, I didn't have a crush on him back then," she snapped.

"Still," Misty insisted.

"If this is crushing," May commented from the driver's seat. "This is pretty hard crushing for you, Dawn. I've seen you be flirtatious with guys you like, but you're not even flirtatious around Paul."

The blue-haired beauty's lip stuck out in a pout.

"Your point?" she sniffed.

"Don't have one," May laughed. "I just wanted to point that fact out."

"Paul has had plenty of other girlfriends," Leaf said, deciding to join the conversation. "I don't see why he having another girlfriend is such a big deal. I mean, I heard the longest any relationship of his lasted was two weeks which isn't very long. Pretty soon Kimberlee will have to join the club Paul's other exes are in."

"Yeah," Misty agreed. "I mean why are you so jealous over Paul dating someone all of a sudden? Like why are you jealous of him dating Kimberlee if the relationship probably isn't going to last."

"Probably isn't the same as certainly," Dawn whispered to herself.

Dawn turned her attention the window, a frown now painted across her face as she watched the landscape pass by in a colorful but mostly gray blur as they drove to the Veilstone Mall.

No matter how much she liked to deny the voices in her head that told her she was being irrational, she couldn't deny her friends points when they said why should she be jealous all of a sudden.

Why _was_ she jealous all of a sudden anyway? Certainly it had nothing to do with that almost-kiss she and Paul shared about ten days ago, or the fact that Paul hasn't had a girlfriend since their first kiss on her birthday. Now that she thought about it, she had been in denial with Zoey over liking Paul until her birthday when she finally admitted of liking Paul a little more than a friend.

Well, that explained it.

But still, there was something else that bit at the core of her heart, a knot of worry and anxiety that… that…

That Paul might actually change and commit to his relationship for once with _Kimberlee_.

With kind, caring, professional, smart, _rational_ Kimberlee.

The Kimberlee with the exotic purple eyes, and the long flowing hair that matched the dark rich color of chocolate with a tan that left her arms and legs a bronze color…

That _Kimberlee_.

Dawn's heart clenched and twisted with jealousy, and she found herself once again glaring out the window.

Really? Why was she jealous of Kimberlee? It wasn't like Kimberlee was the first girlfriend Paul had that many would consider beautiful or smart or strong…

Who were his girlfriends again? Dawn asked herself. And then she remembered.

Ah.

Tess – Tess, with her shoulder-length platinum blond locks with uniquely colored eyes that were a similar shade to honey, although pretty in her own way, was more strength than beauty and only had average grades. She was a sweet and kind girl, but she tends to be quiet and soft-spoken most of the time, anti-social even. She wasn't boring, just quiet and preferred to keep to her own thing.

Quiet Girl plus Indifferent Man obviously equaled a Boring Relationship, thus the end of said relationship.

Liliana – Now Liliana she was easily more beauty than brains with lustrous golden locks that were curled perfectly into ringlets and sea green eyes with a hint of gold in them. Liliana was very stylish and knew just how to dress to make every curve her body possessed count. Dawn had also known her, however, to be rather conceited at times and even down-right rude to some people. In Dawn's opinion, Liliana was just a rude and snobby person who just-so-happened to have good taste in clothes and rather cute pokémon.

Considering Paul didn't like snobby people and actually resented them, Dawn could only assume he would dump her as soon as he realized she was using him for bragging rights.

Anastasia (Ana) – like Tess, was also a very sweet and kind girl, only a little more social around people. She was also a straight-A student, and with black hair and eyes the color of robin eggs, was considered to be rather attractive. The only downfall about Ana would be that she was a major sport girl - even more than Misty who last year did swimming, tennis, volleyball and track all in the same year. (Even though now the carrot top was down to one sport a year which was just swimming).

All in all, Ana had a very busy schedule, especially when you added her job as a waitress at some ice cream parlor to the mix, which equaled no time for dating which in turn equaled a break up with the school's lavender-haired heartthrob.

Heather – she was a girl that kept Dawn guessing. She had shoulder-length forest green hair and chocolate-colored eyes that were similar to Ash's. Although she wasn't a straight-A student, she did have very decent grades with only a few B's scattered here and there, and could be nice when she wanted to… and when she didn't want to be nice, she would scream and throw a fit and would curse like a sailor. Now, there was a girl who could surpass even _Misty's_ temper.

And of course, with Paul's indifferent and sometimes harsh attitude, it was only natural Paul would piss off a girl like Heather, resulting in a telling-off that would later be the cause for him breaking up with her.

Now, Kimberlee… Kimberlee was a pretty _and_ smart _and_ probably the least snotty person she knew. She was always so professional with her job as one of the school's journalist, and was a committed volleyball player. She talked easily with everybody, she knew everybody's name and she was probably close to being everybody's friend for a matter of fact. She was like a social butterfly. She was the whole package practically: pretty, smart, athletic, caring and had a promising future ahead of her.

Sure, she was all that too. Boys were always complimenting her on how pretty she looked, or how nice her hair looked today. Sure she was a straight-A student (or almost straights-A student, anyway; she still had a B in history), and sure she was a cheerleader and sure she was "nice" towards most people.

But that was the thing: She was nice, but she also had a tendency to speak her mind whenever she got really riled up. She got straight-A's, but she struggled just to keep them. She was pretty, but that didn't matter because looks got her nowhere in her opinion. She was athletic, but she was a cheerleader and cheerleaders never got the credit they deserved. As a cheerleader she would work her butt off, but everybody else would just think they were a bunch of girls who did easy tricks or were an easy way to get into somebody's pants.

Oh, how she hated stereotypes with a passion…

And not just that; she was also outspoken, outgoing and a bit over-confident at times, qualities which many got annoyed by sometimes.

Dawn glared out the window, scowling.

"Stupid boys!" she huffed.

* * *

The next day Dawn again spent most of her day drowning in self-pity for herself and envy as she watched Paul and Kimberlee interact with each other. She couldn't even bear to talk to Paul during her classes despite him being only a seat away. Usually she would chat with him endlessly everyday while he just nodded or grunted, but not these past few days.

No, she just couldn't.

Not until she solved her major jealousy issue with Kimberlee anyway.

Too bad she would have to; she had a tutoring session with Paul this afternoon.

Sigh.

"Marina?"

The aqua-blue haired girl angled her head a few degrees to face Dawn, and said, "What is it Dawn?"

"How did you and Jimmy get together?"

Marina smiled at the memory, her blue eyes bright. "He asked me out," she recalled. "And I said yes. It was in seventh grade I believe."

"Oh, I know that," she said. "But like… how did you two start out? Like as friends?" Dawn attempted to remember that far back – back to fifth grade, sixth grade and the beginning of seventh grade – but found she couldn't remember much that far back.

Obviously Marina could though.

She sighed contently, a smile warming her face as she closed her eyes, recalling hers and Jimmy's past. "Yeah, we started off friends. He was the first person I met when I moved here from Little Bark Town and the first friend I made here. Ever since then we've been best buds… mostly outside of school though… training with each other, playing softball together with Vincent… we became good friends, and we just went from there. Now here we are."

She shrugged, as if indifferent, but she was still smiling.

"You moved here when we were in third grade…" Dawn recalled. "So you and Jimmy were friends for… four years before you two started officially dating."

"Yup."

Dawn smiled at her, although it was a bit sad. "You're so lucky."

"I am?" She cocked her head to the side, she was still smiling but there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "Why is that?"

"Because you have Jimmy," she laughed. "You two are like the perfect couple. You two were like _made_ for each other. You two are always so happy together, always going on dates and going to dances together. You two were voted 'Couple of the Year' in middle school, and no doubt you'll be the couple presented in the 'Most Likely to Last' section of the yearbook next year…"

Marina flushed. "Well, we're not the _perfect_ couple…" she mumbled, shocked but honored by Dawn's statement.

Dawn smiled at her humble friend, checking her pokétch. It was almost time for the bell to ring for school to end. She sighed.

And just on time, the bell rang.

"Bye, Marina," Dawn said to her friend as she left the room to wait for Paul to exit. When he did exit, he looked mildly surprised to see Dawn waiting for him at the door, for he cocked an eyebrow upon seeing her.

"Hey," she greeted.

She smiled at him, trying to ignore the mix of butter frees and bitterness dancing together in her belly, all the while trying to appear casual to Paul. Of course, her face fell once hearing the words from his mouth.

"Hmph. You're actually talking to me? Funny, I thought you were mad at me for dating Kimberlee."

Involuntarily, her smile dropped down into a frown and she found herself glaring at him. Worry also began to form in the pit of her stomach, his words must to close to home plate…

She scoffed, scowling. She couldn't transform the scowl back into a smile.

"I'm not mad at you," she grumbled, kicking at a nearby rock as they walked to his car.

He narrowed his eyes at her as if he didn't believe her, but said nothing. Dawn was glad he didn't because if he did she feared she would end up saying or doing something she would later regret. Unfortunately, the silence was getting to her much more quickly than it should have been, and in order to fill it she began rambling.

"I mean, that's stupid. Why would I be jealous of you and Kimberlee? You two look _great_ together! Me being jealous over you and Kimberlee is like me being jealous over you and any other girlfriend you ever had, which I never was, and you know it, so why would I be jealous of one of your girlfriends now, huh? God, boys make assumptions way too quick sometimes!"

Paul just looked at her for the longest moment, Dawn glaring right back at him, keys in one hand, before finally shaking his head and just muttering under his breath about something about girls. He turned the key to unlock the door to his car, unlocking the car so Dawn would be able to get in.

He remained silent as he climbed into the car, and Dawn scowled at him, annoyed. He still didn't comment on anything she just said even as he started the ignition and rolled out of the school parking lot.

Of course, the silence only encouraged Dawn to fill it.

"I bet you and Kimberlee get along well," she continued, facing straight ahead. She refused to look at him. "I mean everybody gets along well with Kimberlee and everybody likes her pretty much; I mean, what's not to like? She's pretty, smart, nice, an amazing volleyball player, and so professional with her job as a journalism here at school. Plus I bet she doesn't talk nearly as much as me, so I bet you definitely enjoy that about her."

Paul still didn't say anything, and Dawn took it that he agreed. After all, silence usually meant agreement didn't it?

She looked away from the windshield, turning to look out the side window to hide her scowl and the tears that were beginning to prick her eyes.

"And she's a trainer, too, unlike all the other girlfriends you had who were coordinators," she continued on stubbornly, her voice growing slightly hoarse. "I bet it's nice having a girlfriend who is a trainer just like you, and not some girly-girly who only wants to talk to you about the appeals she's planning on using in class and such."

Her voice cracked slightly at the end, but he continued to say nothing so she assumed he didn't hear it.

She pursed her lips together, concentrating on the blur of trees and sky and houses as they drove by. She concentrated with all her might on not turning to Paul to see his expression, earning a headache in the process.

Suddenly, something warm trickled down her cheek and she was shocked when she discovered it to be a tear. She wiped it away quickly, rubbing at her eyes until all the other tears disappeared.

"Finally, you're quiet…" She heard Paul mutter.

_Yeah, I bet Kimberlee is quiet for you all the time,_ she fought the urge to say.

She pursed her lips together, her scowl deepening. She refused to talk or say anything back to him, only to have him not respond back.

A few minutes that was nothing but silence later, Paul was parking the car in the driveway. He shut off the ignition, and turned to the girl next to him.

"You're not going to be like this the whole time you're here, are you?" He asked in an annoyed tone. Dawn glared at him, and considered not saying anything and refusing to talk the whole time she was here, but then decided that probably wouldn't be the best idea.

"Be like what?" she snapped. Was she going to be like a jealous bitch or just quiet the whole time she was here?

"Are you going to be difficult," he responded, meeting her glare with his own icy glare that would outmatch hers any day. Dawn found herself looking away, frowning, rubbing her arms as a chill went down her spine.

"I'm not being difficult," she huffed, slamming the door harder than necessary when she climbed out of the car, glaring at the perfectly trimmed lawn.

Paul unlocked the front door, and the two entered the house which was empty inside aside from the two teens that just walked in. Like routine, the two walked down the hall and entered Paul's room, which like always, was clean and tidy.

Dawn glanced at the bare wall, a thought suddenly blooming in her mind. Without thinking, she began to murmur, "Your walls need posters on them; ones with girls on them."

"What?"

Dawn flushed, not realizing she had been speaking out loud. Nonetheless, she turned to Paul, smiling sheepishly. "I said you need some posters of girls on your walls. You know, like a picture of Lucy from the Battle Frontier, or Prima…" she teased him.

Paul cringed at the idea.

Dawn laughed. "What, don't you think they're pretty?"

"They're not my type," he muttered, turning away.

She was about to ask what his type _was_, but then changed her mind. She didn't want to start another argument between them; she was just glad he was talking to her now… in a half-way friendly way, anyway.

Of course, even as Paul did started to quiz her on Chapter 23 in the History book, her mind couldn't but wander to him and Kimberlee dating. She began to wonder how many dates they've went on so far, if they've kissed yet, what they talked about on dates…

Suddenly, remembering something one of her friends had said, she blurted out:

"What is the longest relationship you've ever had?"

Paul looked at her and Dawn realized she had interrupted him when he was in the middle of a question. She flushed when she realized this, but she kept her lips pursed, waiting for Paul's answer.

"Ten days," He finally answered. "Or eleven days now."

_Now?_

"When did you ask Kimberlee out?" she asked.

"When _she _asked _me_ out," Paul responded back irritably. Oh. Right. The great Paul doesn't _ask_ girls out. "And on the sixteenth."

Dawn did some quick math in her head.

If today was the twenty-seventh and they started going out on the sixteenth. Twenty-Seven take away sixteen is eleven which means…

"Kimberlee is your longest lasting girlfriend?" she asked, surprised. The jealousy she previously felt started building up in the pit of her stomach again.

"Yeah? So?" he asked indifferently.

The jealousy began to fade seeing his indifference towards the subject.

Dawn frowned. "Um, so… do you like her?"

Paul looked at her, raising an eyebrow.

She glared at him, repeating her question. "Do you like her?"

He just shrugged. "More tolerable to be around some of my other girlfriends…" No doubt he was thinking of Heather right now. "And she doesn't exactly give me a headache whenever I'm around her."

Her frown deepened. Was he talking about her?

Paul smirked slightly, seeing her reaction.

"Have you… Is she… What do you…?" She sighed irritably, glaring at the floor. That bubble of envy was beginning to build back up inside of her. She cleared her throat, coughing. She fought back the jealousy with all her might.

"So," she said smiling, managing to keep her tone light. "She's your longest lasting girlfriend so far, eh? Do you think she could be 'the one'?"

"The one?" he questioned curiously, a scowl beginning to wrinkle his forehead. She continued smiling that fake smile of hers.

"Yes, 'the one'," she teased. "You know, the one that will last? The one you'll spend the rest of your life with?"

Paul just shrugged.

The corner of her mouth twitched in annoyance. She struggled to keep on smiling. "So, tell me, what is she like?"

"You should now what she's like," Paul snorted.

This time she was unable to fight the scowl, and her mouth dropped into an angry frown. "I mean on your date, you dumbass! What is she like?"

Paul raised an eyebrow at the 'asshole' part, remembering the first few weeks of Veilstone High School for him. He chuckled at the memories.

She growled, glaring daggers at him. "Tell me!" she snarled.

Paul smirked, almost cruelly, but decided to answer her.

"Fine. Well, lets see," He began to remember the dates had had went on with the brown-haired girl. "She's… a good listener. Funny. Easy to relate to. A strong trainer. Helpful. She's a lot of things." He smirked, closing his eyes as he remembered the easy to like girl.

Dawn frowned at this, hurt swelling up inside of her.

It sounded like he really liked her… Like he admired her even.

"So you really like her?" Her voice came out soft and quiet. She pursed her lips together, waiting for his response.

He shrugged again. "Yeah, I guess."

It felt as if her heart had cracked in two.

She smiled, even though with his eyes closed, he couldn't see it. "I'm happy for you…" she whispered.

Suddenly she felt annoyed with herself, and she scowled, fighting back angry tears.

What right did she have to cry? Paul was happy, so why couldn't she be happy for him? She was his friend, and friends were happy for friends when they were happy… so why couldn't she be happy for him? She only had a small crush on him. Only a small crush…

That's what she told herself anyway. She knew it was much more than a small crush though. She had fallen for him. She had fallen for him too hard, too deep, too fast. She had dived into the water headfirst without looking, without knowing. This was way past a small crush.

Not a day passed without her thinking about him and smiling over it, and not a night went by without her dreaming about him and then smiling when she remembered the dream. Whenever she sees him, she smiles; when he walks past her, she smiles; whenever she hears his voice, she smiles; when she remembers his face, she smiles…

What right did she have to feel this way about him in such little time?

"Hey, what's with you?" Dawn's head snapped up, and she flushed when she realized Paul was watching her, an eyebrow raised. Her blush deepened and she laughed, flustered.

"Oh, nothing!" She laughed, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "I was, uh, thinking about my essay I did on you. I was thinking about something I could maybe change about it…"

"It's good the way it is," Paul replied immediately. "You shouldn't change anything about it. It's probably going to be the best essay Professor Oak will get

Dawn blushed at the compliment, flattered. "Oh, thanks…" She bit her lip anxiously, then cleared her throat, asking casually, "So did you finish the essay on me yet?"

"Not yet," he lied. He was afraid if he told her he finished it, she would want to see it, and he did _not_ want her to see it. It felt too personal to him to let her see, despite it being about her.

"So have you and Kimberlee kissed yet?" she asked, her mind trailing back to the two of them. Sigh. Why did she like torturing herself like this?

Paul briefly remembered a kiss the two had shared on their second date.

He had just took her home after the date which they had at some cheap restaurant in town, and Kimberlee had politely asked him to walk her to her door. So he did. After reaching her doorstep, she told him what a great time she had and thanked him for the date. After that she confidently (but also anxiously he could tell) kissed him on the lips.

Her lips were warm, and sweet-tasting. The kiss was enjoyable, but it didn't quite fill him with warmth the same way his brief kiss with Dawn did. He liked it and would accept the kisses, but he didn't quite yearn it or crave it like he did with Dawn's.

Thinking about that, Paul briefly imagined his lips on Dawn's again and a tingle went down his spine, his stomach twisting excitedly. Paul suddenly felt energetic, and he shook his head, forgetting Dawn was awaiting an answer from him for her previous question.

"You two haven't kissed?" Was it just him, or did her voice sound hopeful?

He shook his head again. "No, we have kissed," he responded gruffly. He might have just imagined it, but it looked as if her face dropped. If it did drop, she composed her face immediately afterwards.

"Cool."

Her gaze flickered to the window, and she sighed.

It was dark out.

Paul closed the long-forgotten history book. "I guess I should take you home," he mused, smirking. She just nodded solemnly, sighing.

The two walked to his car, Reggie and his uncle still not home from wherever they were.

"I'm not going to be here Friday," she announced when they arrived at her house. Paul glanced over at her, frowning.

"Why?" he asked.

"I have a wedding to attend," she responded. "It's all the way in another region, and it's going to take a long time to get there. My mom plans on leaving for the wedding as soon as I get home from school tomorrow. Not like I'm going to be missing much; we're just gonna be in our trainer's class all day like tomorrow, practicing for those one tournaments coming up in about a month.

"Yeah," he mumbled.

She smiled. "Well… see you tomorrow then," she told him, shutting the door – lightly this time – behind her.

Paul just grunted a response, then drove away.

* * *

He could not stop thinking about her.

Paul turned over in bed, burying the pillow in his face as he struggled to take his mind off of her and trying to fall asleep. You would think it being two o'clock in the morning this wouldn't be so difficult, but for Paul it was. _She_ just kept popping up into his thoughts.

The minutes ticked by, that image of her still engraved into his mind, but somehow, while he was tossing and turning and trying to make the image go away, he found sleep.

And with sleep, he found another dream of Dawn awaiting him.

He hated it.

Sure, when he was dreaming he enjoyed the dream; he enjoyed listening to the sound of her laughter in his dream, he enjoyed the touch of her skin on his in his dream, and he definitely enjoyed the feel of her lips on his when he bent down to kiss her. He loved it when he was dreaming, but as soon as he woke up, anger immediately coursed through him.

Angrily, he tossed the covers off of him as he got up, angrily marching over to his closet and pulling it roughly open. Quickly, he tossed on a dark shirt he was wearing and pulled off his sweats to replace it with some baggy stale gray pants.

Next he marched into the bathroom, splashing his face to cool down the burn that was still in his cheeks from the dream his mind produced, and then brushed his teeth.

It wasn't even seven-thirty when Paul entered the kitchen with an occupied Reggie in it who was busy cooking eggs and sausages for breakfast. Still angry over his dream, he pulled out a stool from under the kitchen counter which screeched in protest, and sat on it, scowling angrily at the marble countertop.

Reggie turned at the sound of a protesting chair, and smiled when he saw Paul. "Ah! You're up later than usual Paul," he noted, checking his watch.

"Couldn't sleep last night," he mumbled.

"I could tell." Suddenly, Reggie turned off the stove and he turned to face Paul. The plum-haired teen looked up to see his brother watching him with intent onyx eyes, his arms crossed in front of him as he leaned against the other side of the counter where the stove was.

"What?" Paul asked, annoyed.

"I checked up on you several times last night because I could hear you tossing and turning," Reggie informed him. A smirk began to play on Reggie's lips as he said his next words, "And I couldn't help but hear you mumbling a certain _name_ in your sleep."

Paul's head snapped up at this and his hands clenched into fists and his teeth grounded together, a hot blush already burning into his cheeks as he glared at his brother. Reggie's smirk transformed into a smile, and he turned back to the eggs and bacon he was cooking, laughing.

"I hope we're not having wet dreams in this household, Paul," he laughed.

Paul's eyes widened at his brother's conclusion, his blush darkening to a hot pepper red.

_Wet dreams?_

Who does his brother think he is? A pervert?

"As if Reggie," he snorted, glaring coldly at his brother's turned back.

"I was only joking, Paul," his brother chuckled. "If you don't mind me asking though, what _were_ you dreaming about with Dawn?"

Paul's blush continued to burn scarlet as he glared at the countertop.

He wasn't having wet dreams with Dawn, but even so, he wasn't ready to tell Reggie what he _was_ dreaming about.

"If you don't tell me Paul, I'll just tell Cyrus you were having wet dreams about that girl you are currently tutoring," Reggie told him, smirking.

Paul's eyes snapped up at Reggie again, and he glared at him.

Reggie _would_ tell Cyrus that.

Paul huffed under his breath, growling curses at his brother.

Just what he needed; his mom's younger brother thinking he was just another one of those hormonal teenagers who dreamed of nothing but sex with girls.

"Do I need to tell him, Paul?" Reggie asked.

"Shut up, Reggie," he growled under his breath. Sighing, he began to massage his throbbing head, trying to remember what his dream was about.

"I was dreaming that…" He scowled, reluctant to tell his brother. It was too embarrassing, too humiliating. "I was dreaming that we were…" Reggie turned to his younger brother, interesting in his onyx-colored eyes.

"…_dating_." He coughed sheepishly after saying this, that burn in his cheeks returning.

Reggie smiled at this.

"You should ask her out," Reggie told him. "You're not dating anybody at the moment, are you?"

Paul didn't respond, so he took it that he didn't have one.

"I've never seen you act this way around a girl," Reggie said, chuckling. "You must really like Dawn. Seems like she's driving you crazy."

"She is," Paul muttered sourly.

"Then ask her out."

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't like her like _that_, Reggie."

His brother was not convinced. "De-_niaaaal!_"

Paul scowled at him, snarling, "Shut up Reggie!"

"Listen Paul, the sooner you admit your feelings for her to yourself, the sooner you'll feel better," Reggie told him. "And the longer you try to deny these feelings, the longer your feelings will try to prove you wrong. You like her, Paul; it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm not ashamed of anything," Paul growled. "And I'm not denying anything."

"De-_niaaaal!_"

"Ugh! Stop saying that!" Paul yelled.

"It - is - _nothing_ - to be ashamed of," Reggie repeated, meeting his brother's glare with a glare of his own.

With one final glare at his brother, Paul grabbed his car keys which were on the counter and his backpack, and walked out the door.

"_DENIAL, PAUL!" _Reggie called after him.

"I'm not in denial," Paul hissed, slamming the door shut.

He was _so_ in denial.

* * *

It was later than Paul expected when he arrived at school. It was already 8:48. His brother had tortured him longer than he thought.

And fate was continuing to torture him…

When he arrived the first person Paul saw was Dawn. He nearly slammed his head on the steering wheel as he cursed his luck. Scowling, Paul slammed the door shut to his truck _(again)_. Immediately, Dawn turned towards the sound of and saw Paul.

"Hey Paul!" she greeted. Paul just narrowed his eyes at her and grunted, walking past her. She frowned at this, but followed him anyway.

"Are you going to the library again?" she questioned.

He grunted a "yes".

"Cool. Can I join you?"

He cocked an eyebrow at her. "You read?" She glared at him.

"Yes, I do read," she responded through gritted teeth.

"Don't you have cheerleading practice," he questioned, sighing.

"I gave everybody a day off," she told him cheerfully. "There's not cheerleading practice for the rest of the week now since I'm going to be gone tomorrow."

"Interesting," he muttered.

"What's with you?" she asked, frowning at his attitude. "Why are you so cranky out of the blue?"

"What's it to you," he retorted. She glared at him, placing a hand on her hip.

"Did you get enough sleep last night?" she asked.

"I got plenty," he lied.

Dawn's lips pursed together as she thought. "Did you eat breakfast? Aren't guys like you cranky when you don't get enough to eat?"

"I ate breakfast." Another lie.

"Liar," she huffed.

He turned towards her, raising an eyebrow. How would she know if he was lying?

She dug through her backpack, pulling out a packaged muffin. She grabbed his hand, Paul's heart speeding up at the contact, and placed the muffin in it. She smiled up at him, closing his hand carefully around the muffin.

"I know a hungry face when I see it," she told him, winking. "I've been friends with Ash long enough to know when a boy is hungry."

Paul frowned. He looked down at the muffin, and a sharp pang in his stomach made him realize that he was pretty hungry. He looked up from the muffin to see Dawn's smiling face as she waited for him to eat it. He looked at the muffin again and saw it had small little chocolate chips in it.

"Thanks," he told her after a moment. He opened the package, and took a bite out of the muffin.

"No problem!" she chirped. "I also have a banana and an apple if you want them."

Paul was about to decline, but another sharp pang from his stomach told him not to.

"Okay," he agreed.

She took the fruits out from her backpack and handed them to him. He muttered another small thanks in response.

The two sat down on a bench the school had, and Dawn watched as he ate, her lips pursed nervously together.

"So… um, Paul," she began. Paul turned towards her, waiting. "I… I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. And Tuesday."

"Why exactly?" he asked, a confused frown painted on his face.

She smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "For… acting jealous. Um, you see, I didn't know you were dating Kimberlee until Tammy told me, and when I heard you two have been dating for a week already and I didn't know… well…" She blushed. "Well, I just got sort of mad because… well… I don't know. I guess I just thought you would told me or something."

He raised an eyebrow.

Her blush darkened, and she looked away from his questioning eyes. "So, um, yeah…" She coughed. "Sorry. I wasn't being a very good or supportive friend."

He was silent for a moment.

"You're apologizing for being _jealous?_"

She glared at the ground, pursing her lips together.

"Yeah, so?" she mumbled.

Much to her surprise, Paul just chuckled. She turned to him, blushing, when her eyes met his. A small smile was hinting at the corner of his lips. Dawn looked away, feeling dazed.

_Ding! Ding! Ding!_

Dawn stood up immediately, the three loud dings signaling for the start of class nearly giving her a heart attack. She flushed when she heard another chuckle from Paul.

"Shut up…" she grumbled, still blushing a she headed to class, Paul by her side.

Dawn stopped when they were right outside Ms. Waterflower's room, and turned to Paul.

"I see I was right about you being cranky because you were hungry," she mused, smiling playfully at him. He smirked.

"I guess you were," he responded.

She nodded.

They both stood in place, only a foot apart as they gazed at each other, the wind tugging on their hair. They were both reluctant to move away and enter the noisy, crowded room. They wanted nothing more to just stand there and be with each other.

Paul found himself being reminded of his dream as he stood there with her. In the beginning of his dream him and Dawn had been sitting down in the middle of a green meadow, silent and doing nothing but gazing into the other's eyes. Looking into Dawn's eyes at that moment he felt the same yearning he had in his dream, and he longed to touch her…

And he did.

Slowly, he reached out a hand and carefully, he caught a blue strand that came unlocked from behind her ear. His knuckles softly brushed her cheek as he placed it back behind her ear. She looked down shyly, her cheeks a rosy hue. A smile curled her lips upward, and she fought back the urge to giggle.

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

"We have to…" She bit her lip.

"Yeah, I know," he sighed. Silently, the two entered the noisy room. Thankfully, Misty's sister was the kind of teacher who didn't care for tardying students.

When Paul entered that room though, and as he watched Dawn cross the room to sit next to her five friends, Paul made a decision.

He was going to break up with Kimberlee today. She was one of the nicer and more composed girl in school; surely, she wouldn't make a big deal out of it.

Unfortunately, Paul was wrong about her not making a big deal out of it.

* * *

It was the end of the day.

"Dawn."

Dawn turned around as she heard her name, not surprised the least as she saw Paul walking straight towards her.

"Oh, hey Paul," she greeted him, giving a small wave. Paul grunted in reply, stopping about two feet away from her.

"I heard about your break up with Kimberlee," Dawn told him. "I'm sorry it ended so nasty. I never imagined Kimberlee as being the type to have her pokémon attack somebody for breaking up with her." Dawn scratched the back of her head sheepishly, sweat dropping.

"I'll live," Paul grunted. "And it's no big deal."

"I guess," Dawn murmured. "After all, you've broken up with plenty of other girls before…" She was about to walk away, waving at Paul. "I'll see you Monday, I guess."

"Wait."

She turned back to Paul.

"I need to talk to you," he said, walking up to her.

"What about?" she asked.

Suddenly Paul took another step closer to her. Feeling uneasy, Dawn backed up a step or two. Paul just took another step closer though. Suddenly Dawn felt her back hit the wall behind her, and she realized she was backed into a corner.

"Paul?" Dawn asked, frowning at him.

Paul took another step closer to her, his chest brushing against hers. He pinned one of her wrists to the wall, his black orbs burning into hers. Suddenly, Dawn felt very self-conscious, and heat rushed to her cheeks, painting them red.

"What do you need to talk to me about—"

"I want you to be my girlfriend."

Suddenly breathing was a whole lot harder for a certain blunette.

_.x._

_This is a ruby  
__Made by yours truly  
__This is a form of corundum  
__Ours is in the form of a kingdom  
__Our ruby, our love  
__Is crystallized  
__It won't be pulverized  
__Because we are definite  
__I am confident  
__Our ruby, our love  
__Our love will be solid like a kingdom  
__Our ruby is a form of corundum  
__It was made my yours truly  
__I call it a ruby_

* * *

**Definition for Ruby****: **a glassy red stone that is a variety of corundum, highly valued for its use in jewelry as well as in the making of watches and other precision instruments.

**Thanks to everybody who reviewed last chapter! (: You guys are awesome! Now, do me a favor, and leave another review? ;) Ohhh, and let me know if you see any mistakes! Also sorry for the cliffhanger, but I couldn't resist. Besides, it was the best place to leave off. ;) So what do you think Dawn will say? **


	8. Sapphire

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **She's the diamond: the beautiful jewel of the school. He's the pearl: his school status is built around his fan girls. Together as a couple they are platinum: malleable, ductile, and maybe over time, highly resistant to the heat around them. Ikarishipping!

_**PART ONE**_—**_Diamond and Pearl_**

**Chapter Eight**

"Are you asking me out?" she managed to utter, eyes wide in disbelief and her mouth gaped open.

"Yes," he replied automatically. Dawn's heart lurched in her chest and her mouth went dry, and for a moment she felt panicked. She truly was at a loss for words.

"Well?" Paul demanded impatiently. "What's your answer?"

Previously staring at her feet, Dawn looked up, her ocean blue eyes meeting his intense onyx-colored eyes. Again, her heart lurched and the world around her appeared to be spinning.

"Uh…"

Paul's gaze softened and he asked in a calmer voice, "Well?"

Barely conscious, Dawn heard herself whisper an "okay". She heard Paul breathe a small sigh of relief, his grip on her wrist loosening. Dawn continued staring at him, unable to believe what was happening.

Paul had just _asked her out_. PAUL asked a _girl_ out, not the other way around.

Am I dreaming? Dawn suddenly wondered, feeling the need to pinch herself.

"Good," Paul said. "Then I'll pick you up at eight o'clock at your house Saturday, got it?"

This time, unconsciously, she murmured a "yes", too mesmerized by the deep shade of his eyes to really soak in everything that was happening around her. The beating of her heart was the only sound she really heard.

Paul smirked in satisfaction. "Good…" He let go of her wrist, her arm hitting her side gently. "Then I'll see you then." With that said, he began to walk away, his hands shoved deep into his pockets.

Dawn stared at him, awestruck, as she watched him walk away. Only when the door closed behind him did she finally snap out of her dream-like state.

Realization struck her hard as she recalled the last few minutes, and a smile broadened across her face, heat filling her entire face.

_I have a date with Paul Saturday!_

* * *

**(Months Ago)**

"_How come you don't like him?" Zoey queried._

"_Well for one, I don't know him that well, and two, when I did get the chance to get to know him he was being a brat!"_

"_Do you think he's cute though?" It was Leaf who asked this question._

_Dawn blushed. She pictured him in her mind. His shoulder-length plum color hair, those intense onyx color eyes, the muscles that were hidden beneath his shirt and jacket. Dawn blushed as she pictured him shirtless. She shook her head, and shook off the question like a growlithe in the rain._

"_Well, I guess he's kind of cute…" Dawn admitted with another blush. Then she added quickly, "He's still a jerk though!"_

_Misty giggled. "But you admitted he's cute!"_

"_Okay! I got a new question for you," Zoey piped up. "If Paul asked you out, would you go out on a date with him?" All eyes turned on Dawn._

"_Oh. Um," Dawn hesitated before answering. "Well…"_

_They waited with eager ears._

"_The only way I would say 'yes' to him was if he started being nicer to me, and if I really got to know him," she told them. "But… he is pretty cute…" She blushed, remembering his smirk. "…so I may end up saying yes even if he is still a jerk to me." Her blush darkened in embarrassment._

"_Awwww!" May cooed, giggling._

"_You like him!" Leaf declared._

"_Shut up, I do not!"_

* * *

Friday and the wedding went by in a blur for Dawn. She watched the bride walk down the aisle and she listened to the bride and groom as they said their vows, and she studied their facial expressions and body language as they locked lips. Nonetheless, her mind was far from the wedding, and was more busy being preoccupied with thinking of her and Paul as a couple, or just Paul.

Her mind was also preoccupied with questions and worries such as:

What am I going to wear on the date? Should I wear a dress, or would that be trying too hard? Maybe just a shirt and skirt will do… But what if he doesn't think I'm taking us seriously? Ugh.

And—

I wonder where he's taking me for our date. Maybe he'll take me to one of those nice, cheap restaurants so we can talk. That would be nice. Or maybe a fancy, expensive restaurant like the 'Seven Stars' restaurant just out of town; that would be nice _a__nd_ romantic. Or maybe we'll go for a stroll in the park? We can talk quietly under the protection of the stars, the moon shining down on us… Oh! It's just a fairytale in the making!

And—

Okay, why the heck am I thinking so much about this? It's no big deal. It's just a date. We haven't even been boyfriend-girlfriend that long.

And—

WAIT! Are we boyfriend-girlfriend right now because he asked me to be his girlfriend and I said yes, or are we officially a couple after we have our first date? Ugh. Dating was never this complicated before!

And—

Dawn, stop thinking. Seriously.

Many times Dawn got offered a dance by a few guys that were around her age or perhaps a little older who had attended the wedding, and she danced with all of them, if only to get her mind off Paul for a while. A few of the guys also ended up asking her out after the dance, or asked her if she had a boyfriend at home, in which her response would be:

"I have a boyfriend at home."

Smile.

Before Dawn knew it, she was back home and it was Saturday. The day slipped away quickly, and Dawn was left trying on dresses two hours before the approximate time Paul would pick her up for their date, Zoey sitting on the edge of her bed.

Dawn posed in front of a mirror, wearing a loose-fitting black dress made of silk, turning so she could see her back and then pursed her lips together thoughtfully. She stared at herself with a critical eye.

"Should I wear this, Zo?" she questioned. "I don't think I should; I mean, what if I look too desperate?"

Zoey just laughed.

Dawn turned around to face her, frowning. "What? Do I have a stain on my butt or something…?" She turned so she could see her backside in the mirror, but could see no obvious stain on her dress.

"No," she snickered. "You just sound like a typical teenage girl, stressing about what to wear on your first date. Any other date you're just 'whatever' and you throw on a cute looking shirt, a tight skirt, and then you put your hair in a messy bun."

She blushed, looking away. She searched through the closet some more; she pulled out a light blue button-up top with ruffles going down the creases and a tight-fitting skirt before replacing them with a pink loose-fitting top with small white flowers sprinkled on the top-half and a tight-fitting white skirt that went to her mid-thighs. She held the pink shirt and white skirt in front of her body, posing with them.

"I'll wear this," she decided.

She glanced at her clock and Zoey did too.

"Well, I guess I should go, so you can get ready for your date," The red-head told her, smirking. "Don't forget to tell me everything that happens!" She winked.

Dawn rolled her eyes, grinning.

Dawn was about to head to her shower, but then stopped, and headed toward her drawer and dug through it, pulling a bikini top and the matching bottoms out.

"Just in case we go to Lake Valor," she whispered, a smirk on her face.

An hour-long shower and some prepping with her hair and makeup later, it was almost eight o'clock and Dawn checked her hair, makeup and clothes one final time in the mirror.

Her hair looked the same as usual, long, straight and blue with three triangular gold clips holding her hair in place. The only makeup she had put on in the end was some lightly-colored pink blush on her cheekbones and a strawberry-flavored gloss. Her clothes were the pink loose-fitted top and the white skirt she had picked out earlier. Her shoes were just simple white flats and nothing special.

Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, she exited her room and climbed down the stairs to enter the living room. Her mom smiled when she saw her.

"On a date, eh?" She asked. Dawn flushed pink. "Who's the lucky man?" Dawn flushed even pinker, realizing she still hadn't told her mom about her date with Paul.

Dawn's eyes darted to the clock on the wall which read exactly 8 o'clock. Right on cue, the doorbell rang.

"A friend," Dawn said quickly, darting for the door. "Bye mom, love you, I'll be home by midnight, 'night!"

Dawn ran out the door and slammed it behind her, nearly running into Paul while doing so. She blushed as she realized her nose was barely a centimeter away from his chest. Blushing, she looked up to see him staring at her with confusion on his face.

"Uh, sorry about that," She stepped to the side, still blushing. She cleared her throat sheepishly. "Um, I'm ready to go if you're ready."

He grunted, and giving a short nod, he lead the way back to his car.

"So," she said, grinning teasingly as she turned to face the plum-haired man. "What made you suddenly ask me out?"

"What made you say yes?" He countered smoothly back.

She frowned, her eyebrows furrowing together. _Okay… Well so much for trying to get him to admit he likes me… well, I'm not going to admit I like him until he admits he likes me! _Dawn thought stubbornly.

"I asked you first," she replied.

"Where do you want to go?" He asked, changing the subject. She frowned, her hair falling over her shoulder as she tilted her head to the side. "I have to choose? I figured you would have just took me to some restaurant."

"I was going to take you to the Seven Stars restaurant, but," He glanced at her through the corner of her eyes, surveying her outfit. Dawn blushed in embarrassment, feeling self-conscious. "Most of the girls who go there are dressed up in dresses, and you're not."

Her frown deepened, a wave of guilt hitting her.

_I knew I should have worn that pretty pink dress, _she thought to herself, sniffing indignantly.

"Well… I wasn't sure what to wear," she admitted quietly. _And how many dates have you been on with a boy? _She asked herself sarcastically.

"So, is there another place you would like to go? Like another restaurant…?" He glanced at her again through the corner of her eyes, before turning back to the road. He slowed as he came to an intersection.

"Hm…" She pursed her lips thoughtfully, her tongue clicking against the roof of her mouth. Suddenly, the perfect place came to mind. "Lake Valor! Let's go there. I've always wanted to go there on a date."

"Okay," he agreed. He turned left on the intersection before doubling back and turning on another road that was the main route to the lake.

"Which reminds me, you still hadn't answered my question," she told him, grinning again.

"What question?" was his response.

"Why did you decide to ask me out?"

"And you still hadn't answered my question," he replied. "Why did you say yes?"

"I asked you first," she pouted.

Paul's eyebrow twitched in annoyance, and Dawn giggled. He turned to face her for a second before turning his eyes back to the road. He glared out the window, letting out an annoyed breath of air.

"Why do you think I asked you out?" He grumbled.

"I don't know why," she said after a while, pursing her lips together. She wasn't going to settle for that. She wanted to hear him say the words, to be sure he liked her.

He glanced briefly at her again, scowling. "Are you really that dense? You're worse than Ash," he told her, that scowl remaining in place as he shook his head. She glared at him.

"Well, excuse me!" she huffed, crossing her arms.

Paul sighed. "Why do most people ask somebody out? Why do most guys ask _you_ out, Dawn? "

"Because… they like me?" she asked, hopefully. Paul remained silent.

Did that mean she was right or that she was wrong?

"Because… they really, _really_ like me?" she dared say. He still didn't say anything, but she could now see that Paul's face was red, most likely out of embarrassment. His scowled had also deepened as he glared out the windshield.

Finally, she sighed.

"Am I right?"

"Do you think you're right?" he muttered.

She glared at him. "How come you always answer my questions with other questions? It doesn't give me a straight answer!" she whined.

"Well, I already answered your question," he said quickly. "Now why did you say yes?"

Dawn's face fell as she looked at him. "You didn't answer my question!" she whined. "All you are doing is confusing me and making me guess!"

"Well, if you're too dumb to figure out the answer, then too bad," Paul retorted. "Now why did you agree to be my girlfriend?"

_Ooh, so I am his girlfriend right now, aren't I? _Dawn thought to herself, almost beaming. Pushing that thought aside before she could get all bubbly and giggly, she glared at Paul for his lack of giving her a straight answer.

Well, if he was going to be stubborn…

She looked away from him sourly, now watching as the road and trees rolled by outside the car window.

"Why did you agree to be my girlfriend?" Paul repeated.

A blush painted Dawn's cheeks pink, but she took a deep breath, preparing herself to answer his question.

_Well, he's being a stubborn jackass, so I'll just tell him the reason I said yes. And if it turns out he doesn't like me after all, and he was dared to do this, well… I'll just bring Mamoswine to his house tomorrow and teach Paul a lesson._

"I said yes because I really like you," she declared. Dawn was glad the words came out loud and confident, whether than shaky and nervous… like she felt. She peeked a glance at Paul to see his reaction, her heart pounding like crazy against her ribs.

"You do?" was all he said.

She felt annoyed. Really, that's all he had to say? 'You do?' What the hell. She just admitted she liked him, like, _a lot_, and that's all he had to say? Last time she confesses anything to a man. Hmph!

She shrugged. "Yeah, of course. Like you're really great, and you're a strong trainer and really smart. And I really like hanging out with you." _Even when you are being an inconsiderate ass_, she added to herself.

Paul glanced her way again, but this time a smirk graced his lips. The car rolled to a stop, and Dawn realized they were already at Lake Valor. Or at least as close to Lake Valor as they could get when driving. Trees surrounded the lake in thick clusters; there was a trail leading inside the thick mass of trees, but it wasn't big enough for a car to drive through. Luckily, the trail would only be a ten minutes walk at the most.

Once the car was parked, Paul took the key out of the ignition, and climbed out of the car. Dawn followed his actions.

"Okay, so let's go," she said, a smile on her face.

Paul nodded, grabbing her hand. Dawn's heart raced at the contact, and she smiled to herself. She followed Paul as he led her down the trail, a peaceful silence cloaking them both. Moonlight leaked in from in-between the trees, lighting the trail in front of them as they walked. Finally, they were able to see the lake which shone silver in the moonlight.

Dawn gasped at the sight of it.

"Wow…" she breathed.

She had been to Lake Valor before, but never in the nighttime. It looked ten times more beautiful at night, she realized, with the moonlight painting it silver and the reflections of all the twinkling stars shining down on it like diamonds.

Paul smirked.

"I never knew it looked this beautiful at night…" she whispered. She turned to him, grinning. She tugged on his hand, telling him, "C'mon, let's go swimming in it!"

"Are you crazy?" Paul asked. "It's nighttime and it's like seventy degrees out. Besides, unless you plan on swimming in your clothes, we don't have anything to swim it."

"Correction," She winked at him. "_You_ don't have anything to swim in. I, however, _do._" With that said, Dawn began to take off her shirt.

"What are you—"

She threw the shirt at Paul, smacking him straight in the face. She giggled at this before proceeding to unbutton her skirt and wiggle out of it. Paul glared at her, his scowl returning. He was about to say something quite unpleasant, but stopped when he noticed what she was wearing.

"You wore your bathing suit under your clothes?" Disbelief was written all over his face.

She nodded, smiling.

"I wore it in case you decided to be the romantic guy and took me to Lake Valor," she giggled. "Good thing I did too."

"So," she said. "How do I look?" She struck a pose. She wore a two-piece string bikini that was colored coral pink. There was a flower-shaped design in rhinestones on the top half of the swimming suit.

Paul's eyes traveled along her figure.

"You look good," he replied, a slight smirk on his lips. Dawn grinned, blushing faintly.

"Good," she teased, turning away. She made a point of swinging her hips from side to side, but not too much or too fast to make it too obvious. She peeked over her shoulder and grinned, pleased to see Paul was watching her.

She climbed on top of one of the rocky boulders that stood in front of the lake. Dawn wasn't surprised when she found it somewhat difficult to climb. The boulder was nearly as tall as she was; the edges were also sharp and she found herself often scraping her knees on them.

After a minute though, she made it on top of the boulder, and she stood up on it when she did. She waved when she saw Paul was still watching her.

"PAUL!" she called. She gestured for him to join her, which he did.

It took Paul less effort and less time to get on the boulder, being taller and more muscular than she was. She didn't mind at all though.

"Wanna know what I like?" she asked.

He shrugged. "Why not," he replied.

"I like it when it's nighttime and the moon is full," She pointed to the full pearly-white moon that illuminated the sky. "And I like it when I'm at the beach or at a lake, and I'm with friends or a guy I like.

"But wanna know what I like _best?_" She turned to him, her grin broadening.

"What?" he asked.

"I like it when I'm at a beach or a lake and it's nighttime _and_ I'm with a guy I like," she told him, a twinkle in her eyes.

"Really?" he murmured.

He was smirking at her, and his eyes connected with hers. She nodded, a faint blush crawling on her cheeks. She turned away from is eyes though and turned her attention the lake. She stood up suddenly, and stared into the silver-depths of the lake.

"Hey, Paul, watch this!" she yelled.

She bended slightly before straightening back out and jumping as high as she could into the sky. Paul watched as her body twisted in the air as she did a flip in midair before diving head-first into the water. She emerged only moments later, grinning up at him, soaking wet.

"Where did you learn that?" He asked, sounding somewhat impressed.

"It comes with being a cheerleader. Also Misty taught it to me," she revealed, laughing. She began to splash the water. "C'mon, join me!"

"I don't have a bathing suit on," he responded back, rolling his eyes.

"Please? You don't have to have a bathing suit on! Just go in the clothes you're wearing right now," she told him. He shook his head. "Pleaaase?"

"No."

She scooped water up in her hands and threw it at him.

"Hey!" Paul yelled, scowling.

She stuck her tongue out at him playfully. "Come in the water! It feels nice!"

"I'm not getting wet," he retorted. This time a scowl crossed her face. And then an idea flickered in her mind.

"Okay, fine." She huffed. "If you won't come in the water with me, then I'll just have to drag you in." A mischievous grin graced her features as she grabbed his leg and jerked on it, sending him toppling off the boulder and into the water.

"Dawn!" he yelled, reemerging from underneath seconds later, spitting out the nasty water. She laughed, sticking her tongue out again.

"Finally! So you decided to join me in the water after all, Paul?" she teased. He answered her by soaking her some more with a huge splash.

"Ow! Hey! That got in my eye!" she whined.

Paul smirked. "Oh, I'm sorry."

"You should be," she said, splashing him back.

"Well, that is what you get for pulling me in," he snorted, climbing back up on the boulder. Dawn followed him, wringing out her hair as she did. She grinned at him.

"You know, this is a lot more fun than I thought this would be considering you're my date," she told him. Paul just grunted, too busy taking off the soaked white dress shirt he wore for the date and wringing it out.

Dawn couldn't help but notice his abs which glistened with water in the moonlight. She looked away, blushing. When she glanced at him again, he had the dress shirt back on, buttoned up only half-way though and the sleeves folded up to his elbow.

She looked down and noticed for the first time that Paul had also bought her clothes with him. She shivered as a cool breeze passed by, and hurriedly put her thin pink blouse back on. She wasn't in the mood to put her skirt on, knowing it would be difficult to do so being wet and all.

How come she didn't think of bringing a towel with her when she had put on her bathing suit?

Dawn sighed dreamily, a smile on her face as she looked up into the sky. She just loved the nighttime so much. It was always so quiet out, so peaceful. And she loved gazing up at the stars, trying to find constellations and such out of them.

"Hey look," she whispered, nudging Paul. She pointed to the sky. "Do you see those stars up there? The bright, silver ones?"

"Yeah, I see them. Why?" he asked.

She smiled. "Connect them. Don't they look like a piplup?"

"I don't see it," he responded.

"Look, there's the head," She pointed to the first three stars in the sky that formed a deformed circled. "There's the body," She pointed to the next two stars that formed a circle with the third star from the first group. "And, there's the beak." She pointed to the other two stars that were lined up in a row.

"Hmm… It kind of looks like a piplup," he decided after a moment.

"Actually, it looks kind of like a torchic now that I think about it," she said.

"Torchic, piplup, they all look the same," he responded. "The only difference is that one is blue and the other is orange." Much to his surprise, she laughed.

He turned to face her, his eyes meeting hers as he did. There was a twinkle in her eyes as she stared at him, dimples appearing in the corner of her mouth as she smiled. The moonlight touched her face, giving it and the rest of her wet figure an angelic glow. The pink shirt she was wearing clung to her body, emphasizing her curves.

For a moment, Paul felt breathless.

"This is like the best date I've ever been on," she told him, truly meaning it.

"Glad you think so," he murmured.

"You know…" She started. "You never really did give me a straight answer on why you asked me out."

"It's pretty obvious," he responded. "Do you really not know why, or do you just want me to say the words?"

She bit her lip.

"Both."

He sighed. He turned to Dawn, and looked into those mesmerizing dark blue eyes of hers.

"I asked you out because you are different to me," he replied finally. "And because I like you. A lot more than I've liked any other girl." His heart sped up slightly as he watched a smile spread across her face.

"You _must_ like me a lot if you, the guy who _never_ asks a girl out, finally asked a girl out," she resonded, smiling shyly up at him. "I feel the same way about you." She admitted.

He didn't say anything. He was too captivated by those blue eyes of hers, and too focused on a lock of blue hair that was blowing in the breeze. He caught the strand in one hand and locked it behind her ear. She blushed as he did so; he could feel the heat on her cheek as his hand accidentally brushed her cheek.

"Paul… I…"

She stopped as she noticed he was leaning in. Her breath hitched in her throat, but she leaned in too. Dawn was amazed by the rush that came with hers and Paul's second kiss, her first _real_ kiss, _their_ first real kiss, as their lips met. The feeling was incredible, indescribable. A rush of emotions swirled in Dawn's stomach like a hurricane, threatening to overwhelm her with them and explode.

Paul reached a hand up to grab her shoulder, to steady both her and himself. She deepened the kiss, one hand intertwining itself with Paul's lavender locks. He responded to the actions by pulling her closer to him. She was surprised by how addicting his scent suddenly became to her, and how she hoped for the feel of his lips against hers would never go away. It wasn't before too long though that she began to feel light-headed from a lack of air, and although reluctant, she parted her lips from his.

The two breathed in heavily, moonlight bathing them, as they stared into the other's eyes, awe and some other indescribable emotion present in both their eyes.

Paul leaned in again, consuming her lips with his. The kiss lasted much shorter than the previous kiss. Dawn smiled shyly up at him, pulling him closer as she cupped his cheek in one hand and kissed him once more. His lips seemed to fit perfectly with hers, like only two puzzle pieces. She loved the feeling of his lips pressed against hers, and she loved the feeling that filled her whenever they did make contact. It filled her with so much warmth…

They pulled away once more for another breath of air, but this time they did not lean in for another kiss. This time they just simply stared into the other's eyes, their breathing rough.

And staring into the inky-blackness of Paul's onyx-colored eyes, Dawn knew this night was absolutely perfect, and that she never wanted it to end…

Sighing contently, she rested her head against Paul's chest, closed her eyes, and smiled.

_Please don't let this feeling ever go away… _

* * *

"And then he kissed me," she sighed dreamily.

Marina nodded, smiling. "I'm happy for you, Dawn," she told her, releasing Dawn's hair from a curler. "You seem really happy with him. I noticed you were sitting with him at lunch all this week instead of with everybody else."

She shrugged indifferently. "Well, I wanted to spend some more time with Paul. Besides, I figured if you're allowed to ditch us once in a while at lunch for Jimmy, I'm allowed the same privilege." She joked, winking.

Marina released the last curler from Dawn's hair. Dawn smiled at herself in the mirror, running her hand through her hair, allowing the warm curls to bump into her hand.

"Thanks Marina! They look awesome!" She told her friend cheerfully.

"You look amazing," Marina responded.

The blunette smiled, a blush warming her cheeks and painting them pink. She glanced at herself in the mirror once more, and she knew she really did look good.

The dress she was wearing for the Spring Formal was dark blue, a blue even darker than her hair, and was made of polyester. Light blue sparkles glittered on the dress in all the right places, and was ankle-length with spaghetti-thin straps and had a v-shaped neckline. Also right where the two lines from the "V" met there was a silver heart surrounded by tiny diamonds. The dress also hugged her form perfectly while still allowing her to move and breathe normally.

"So why did you ask me to come over instead of Zoey or May or someone else?" Marina questioned, sitting on the edge of her neatly-made bed.

"Why _not?_" Dawn responded.

Marina rolled her eyes, but grinned.

"Well, I just wanted to tell someone about Saturday," Dawn admitted. "I told Zoey, but she never had a boyfriend before, so she wasn't really as enthusiastic about it as I would have liked. I would have told May, but usually whenever I mention a date I had she gets all moody and stuff because of her breakup with Drew. And then Misty and Leaf never really care much about dates I go on. And you're the only one other than me who is currently in a relationship, and you've been in the same relationship for years now, so I figured you would be the most enthusiastic about my date."

"And I guess you were right," Marina said, grinning. "But it's Friday now. The date was nearly a week ago."

"I know," Dawn responded, also grinning, that dreamy look appearingin her eyes again. "But the date was just so amazing; it feels like it was just yesterday."

Marina laughed. "Well, I should probably go now. Paul will be here any minute to pick you up I'm sure, and Jimmy will be expecting me at my house soon enough. So, see you at the dance?"

"Okay," she agreed. "Bye!"

**ooo**

When Paul arrived at her house, he discovered Dawn was already outside waiting for him, an ecstatic smile on her face. He smirked at the sight of her, his eyes immediately sweeping over her body. Like always, she was well put together and looked amazing.

"You look great," he told her.

"Thanks," she said, pressing her lips briefly against his. She was grinning, her eyes sparkling like diamonds. "You look great too."

His smirk broadened and he leaned down, tilting her chin up and planting his lips on hers. He deepened the kiss as her fingers crawled up his shirt and found their way to his hair, which she finger-combed. When he broke the kiss, she grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"Lets go…" she whispered, grinning.

**ooo**

When they arrived at the dance which was already bustling with activity and life, the song "Pretty Girl" by Sugarcult was just starting to play.

"_Pretty girl is suffering,  
while he confesses everything  
Pretty soon she'll figure out  
what his intentions were about"_

"Hey, Leaf!" Dawn greeted, immediately spotted her sweet, green-loving friend who like always, was wearing a green dress t the dance. She grabbed Paul's hand and dragged him over to where her friend sat.

Leaf's hair had been neatly curled into ringlets just like Dawn, the brown ringlets falling on her strapless apple green dress that reached to her ankle, hugging Leaf's slender body perfectly. A bow that matched the color of her dress was also tied in the back of her head where her hair had been parted.

"You look beautiful!" she told her, letting go of Paul's hand for a moment to hug her.

"Thanks! You don't look half bad yourself," Leaf teased, laughing. "You look fabulous Dawn. If this was the prom, you would _definitely_ be the Prom Queen!"

Dawn blushed, smiling. "Really? You think so?"

"I _know_ so." Leaf replied.

"Aha! There she is," Gary said, slinging an arm around Leaf's shoulder. "My date! Looking as lovely as always, Leaf." He told her, leaning down to kiss her cheek. Leaf's cheeks burned red.

"Shut up, Gary. I only asked you because everybody else already had a date," she told him.

"If you say so," he smirked. "But just so you know, I turned down every other girl who asked me so I could go with you."

"Really?" she asked, frowning as she glanced up at him. Gary's smirk widened and he nodded, causing Leaf to flush pink.

Suddenly, Dawn felt a tug on her hand and she glanced over her shoulder at Paul.

"Lets go get something to drink," Paul said, gesturing towards where the refreshments table was. Dawn nodded, following Paul as he led her to the table which was already crowded with students.

"_And that's what you get for falling again  
you can never get him outta your head  
And that's what you get for falling again  
you can never get him outta your head"_

On the way to the punch bowl Dawn stopped a few times to hug a class friend of hers as they complimented her on how great she looked. In fact, by the time she arrived at the refreshments table, Paul already had two punches of glass in his hand.

"Thanks," she said, taking a glass from his hand and pecking his cheek. He grunted in response, beginning to chug the red punch.

"Yo! Dawn! Paul!" The two turned around to see Ash making his way through the crowd of dancing friends and couples, a grin on his face. He turned to Dawn, a pout forming on his childish features.

"You haven't said hi to me ever since you and Paul started going out!" He told her, turning to Paul with what could have been mild suspicion, and then back to her.

"Oh, sorry about that," Dawn apologized, grinning sheepishly. "Um, hi." Ash roared with laughter, clapping her on the back. Paul narrowed his eyes at the action, and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer.

"So is Paul treating you well, because if not I'll have a little chat with him after this dance, 'kay?"

"Oh, like you could really do anything to me," Paul snorted. "You can't even defeat me in a battle." Ash glared at him, but said nothing more, walking away.

"That was rude of you to say," she scolded, gently smacking his arm. Paul just shrugged, setting down his empty glass. Dawn placed her half-empty glass down beside his.

"C'mon, lets dance," he said.

"I don't wanna dance though," she whined, pouting. "I just wanna talk…" she told him, running a finger down his chest.

"Okay… what do you want to talk about?" he asked.

"Hm… Actually I changed my mind," she said, her eyes sparkling mischievously as a grin pulled up the corner of her lip. "I want to kiss instead." Paul smirked too, leaning down to fulfill her wish.

"_It's the way that he makes you feel  
It's the way that he kisses you  
It's the way that he makes you fall in love"_

Dawn happily returned the kiss, wrapping her arms around his shoulder and pulling him closer to her in order to deepen the kiss, loving and embracing the feeling that filled her every time he kissed her. It filled her with a warmth that flooded throughout her veins, and an exhilaration that made her heart beat faster. The feeling was wonderful, and she embraced it every time she felt it.

After a minute of making out, Paul pulled away so they could both catch their breath. Dawn's eyes were glittering like diamonds in the dim light and Paul smirked, leaning down to simply just kiss her lips this time.

"_She's beautiful as usual  
with bruises on her ego and  
her killer instinct tells her to  
be aware of evil men" _

"You look beautiful…" he murmured, his hot breath brushing her ear. Dawn smiled, blushing only slightly.

"Thank you," she whispered back, grinning coyly. "I'm glad you think so." She intertwined her fingers with his, squeezed his hands, and kissed him briefly again.

She sighed as she breathed in his scent, closing her eyes. It was addicting, the masculine and spicy scent of the cologne. She breathed in the scent again. The smell was perfect for him: it was dark, mysterious, manly… just like him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, chuckling.

"Smelling you," she responded, cracking a smile. "You smell good. You smell like you."

"Thanks?"

She laughed, pulling her nose away from his chest to look up at him, that twinkle back in her eyes. "It _was_ a compliment, you know. I like the way you smell."

"What are you – a dog?" he asked, the corner of his mouth pulling up into a smirk.

"So, what if I am?" she responded, meeting his gaze. "There's nothing wrong with dogs. They're cute and fuzzy… in fact, I always wanted a growlithe. They're like the cutest dogs around."

"What, you don't like poochyenas?" he asked.

"Poochyenas are hyenas, stupid." She chuckled, grinning.

"And? Hyenas are part of the dog family, aren't they?" She shrugged. "I dunno…" she murmured, laughing. "What does it matter anyway?" This time he shrugged, and she laughed some more.

"You smell like vanilla," Paul commented, his nose brushing her hair as he inhaled her scent.

"Who's the dog now," she murmured, pulling him in for another kiss…

"_It's the way that he makes you cry  
it's the way that he's in your mind  
it's the way that he makes you fall in love" _

"Yo, Paul! Stop kissing Dawn for a minute, will ya?"

Paul pulled away from her, annoyed. "What do you want, Drew?" he asked, scowling at him.

"I need to talk to Dawn for a minute about something," he responded. Paul narrowed his eyes at him suspiciously, but Drew held up his hands defensively. "Don't worry, I won't touch her." He told him, smirking.

Paul continued to glare at the chartreuse-haired man suspiciously, but said nothing. Drew gestured to Dawn to follow him as he led her to a private spot away from all the dancers.

"Okay, listen," he started, a bit sheepishly. Dawn may have imagined it, but it looked like he was blushing. "You're May's best friend, right?"

She raised an eyebrow, her face guarded, and nodded.

"Yeah."

Drew tugged at the end of his sleeve nervously, and rubbed the back of his neck. He kept glancing around, as if to make sure nobody else was listening to their conversation.

"So, uh, May… does she ever… talk about me?" he asked.

"Why?" she asked suspiciously.

Drew turned his face away from hers, and glared at the ground as he shoved his hands deep in his pants pockets. He decided to ignore her question, and went for asking another.

"Did May go with anyone to this dance?"

"Why do you wanna know?" she countered.

Drew scowled, flicking his hair.

He decided to avoid that one too.

"Does May still like me?"

"Why should I tell you if she does or not," Dawn retorted back. "You won't even answer my questions."

Drew's teeth gritted together, and he focused on breathing in and out.

"I just… wanna know."

"There must be a reason you wanna know," Dawn replied smugly back, smirking. "And what reason would that be, Drew? Don't worry, I won't tell May if you still like her."

"Who said I still liked May?" he shot back.

Dawn shrugged carelessly, sighing. "Well, then I have no reason to be with you, my best friend's ex, so I'll just be going…" She sighed again for effect, beginning to walk away.

Three…

Two…

One…

"Wait."

She turned around, raising a finely arched eyebrow.

"What is it?" she queried, forcing her voice to sound indifferent.

"Okay, so what if I still like May," he grumbled. "Does she like me back?"

"Do you want to date her again?"

Drew's teeth clenched together, and he nodded tightly.

"If you were to date her again, would you promise to stop being all arrogant and a jerk all the time around her?"

He drew a sharp breath of air, but nodded again.

"I would try," he told her. Dawn smiled.

"You wanna know how you can make May give you another chance?" she asked, her eyes flicking to the brunette who was on the other side of the dance floor, talking to Misty and Marina.

"How?" Drew asked, eager.

Dawn grinned. "Charm her. Do those one rose tricks you use to do and give her a rose. Talk to her. Shower her with attention, and… apologize."

"Apologize? Apologize for what?" Drew asked, scowling as he flicked his hair.

"For ending it," she stated simply. "For breaking her heart. If you apologize for hurting her and she can see you truly mean it, she won't think twice about giving you another chance. She'll jump you on the spot."

Drew frowned, his eyes also on the brown-haired beauty dressed in that red spaghetti strapped dress. Finally, he sighed.

"Okay. Fine. I'll do it," he said, starting to walk towards her. He stopped briefly and glanced back at her. "Thanks." He murmured, walking again.

Dawn grinned, calling back, "You're welcome!"

She was grinning the whole time as she made her way back to Paul.

"What was that about?" Paul asked as soon as she came back, his eyes scanning over her protectively, as if doing so would let him know if Drew had kept his promise and didn't touch her.

"Drew still has feelings for May," she responded almost smugly back.

"Obviously," Paul muttered. "Was that what he wanted you for? To tell you that?"

"And to ask advice about it," she confirmed, still smiling.

A spunky pop song ended, and was replaced with a familiar song she knew. As the song started she found herself concentrating on the first verse.

"_Can we pretend that airplanes  
__In the night sky  
__Are like shooting stars  
__I could really use a wish right now  
__Wish right now, wish right now  
__Can we pretend that airplanes  
__In the night sky  
__Are like shooting stars  
__I could really use a wish right now  
__Wish right now, wish right now"_

"I don't need a wish right now…" She whispered to herself.

Why would she need a wish right now? One of her best friends could be getting back together with her ex right this moment, and would be as happy as she previously was when she was dating Drew. And if May was happy, she was happy. But most importantly, she was with Paul, her boyfriend, and was loving every moment of it.

_There's nothing I could possibly wish for at this moment because everything is already perfect, _Dawn thought to herself, gazing up at Paul. He noticed this and looked down at her.

"What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. "I'm just thinking about how perfect everything is."

Paul smirked, and Dawn smiled, and she rested her head once more on his chest.

* * *

Drew took a deep breath as he neared May, his mind swimming for something, anything, to say. Anything that wouldn't come out as an insult anyway.

"_You look beautiful tonight May."_

No, saying that would be too obvious. That wasn't exactly the thing he would say to his ex-girlfriend anyway after teasing her and tormenting her ever since their break up in the middle of tenth grade. Not to mention she may think she was teasing him again.

"_Hey May."_

That was too casual.

"_Hey May, wanna dance?"_

Too out of the blue.

_Think Drew, think. You're like the prince of the school; practically every girl here falls for your charms and May fell for them once too. Now think. What's something suave and charming I can say? _

Luckily for him, May noticed him looking at her after a while, and after politely excusing herself from the conversation between herself, Misty and Marina, and she walked over to him, her arms folded across her chest.

"What? Are none of your fan girls swooning over you for once and asking you to dance?" she asked sarcastically, glaring at him.

"Jealous much?" He asked, flicking his bangs.

"Actually," he said, a rose appearing in his hand as he smiled charmingly at May, a hint of a smirk on his face. "I was wondering if you would like to dance with me."

May frowned. "Is this a joke?" she asked, glancing around. There was a hint of doubt and suspicion in her eyes. "Why would you wanna dance with me?" She glared at him.

"Because I would like to dance with the most beautiful girl here tonight," he responded, smiling. He held out his hand for her take. May blushed at the remark, but remained suspicious.

"I dunno…" she mumbled. She licked her lower lip nervously, her eyes flicking to the ground and then back at Drew. "You really think I'm the most beautiful girl here?" she asked, sounding hopeful.

He nodded. "Of course. Why else would I have dated you if I didn't think so? You don't think I would have dated someone ugly, did you?"

"Wait – so you only dated me for looks?" she asked, her eyes narrowing to slits. Drew looked taken aback, realizing much too late he had said the wrong thing.

"No, I mean—"

"Forget it Drew," she snapped, turning away. "You're just a pig!"

"Wait, May! I didn't mean I only dated you for your looks!" He called back. "Wait! Come back! I'm sorry!"

"Sorry?" she said, whipping back around. She continued to glare at him. "Sorry for what?"

Drew hesitated for a moment, his pride holding him back from saying the words he wanted to. Unfortunately, he hesitated for a moment too long, and May snorted in disgust, turning back around.

"Pig," she hissed.

"Wait, May! May!" He called after her, but she didn't turn around. He started to chase after her, pushing innocent bystanders who shouted curses after him. He didn't pay them any attention though, and continued his search for May. He soon realized though that he had lost her inside the crowd.

He frowned, a crestfallen look on his face.

"I'm sorry May… for being a total ass to you all the time."

* * *

It was almost midnight when Paul got her home from the most perfect dance ever.

Paul turned off the ignition, and Dawn turned to face him, surprised.

"Aren't you leaving?" she asked.

He didn't reply. Instead he turned to the seat in the back, grabbed a bag and pulled something out of it.

"Here," he said, thrusting a pearl bracelet at her.

Dawn smiled at the gift and squeezed her hand through it. She admired the way bracelet looked on her wrist for a second, wearing a childish smile on her face.

"Thank you, I love it," she told him, pecking his cheek.

When she opened the car door to leave, Paul pulled her back and kissed her, long and hard. Like always, she gladly returned the kiss, pouring all of her emotion into the kiss. And when he pulled back to murmur a goodbye and to give her forehead a final kiss, she smiled, sadness for their separation already beginning to seep in.

"Love ya," she told him as she jumped out of the car, waving at him as she watched him start the ignition again and drive away.

As the sadness began to creep in as she realized Paul had left, she would remind herself like she always did that she would see him soon, Monday to be exactly. And at the thought of seeing Paul again soon, the sadness began to fade away.

As she entered her house she discovered her mom still wasn't home. Usually her mom wasn't out this late with Palmer, but Dawn decided not to give it another thought. She occupied herself with thoughts of Paul as she placed her Jessica Simpson CD in her stereo, and then she got ready for her shower.

When Dawn emerged from the bathroom, clean and hair still damp, wearing her favorite oversized pink piplup shirt and piplup boxer shorts, she discovered one of her favorite Jessica Simpson songs just beginning to play. Dawn jumped on top of her bed and turned the music up so loud that the music started vibrating the walls.

She started to sing along.

"The real me is a southern girl with her Levi's on and an open heart," she sang, bouncing on her knees on her bed. "Wish I could save the world, like I was super girl!

"Real me is to laugh all night, lyin' in the grass just talkin' about love," Dawn closed her eyes, an image of Paul filling her mind. "But lately I've been jaded, life got so complicated!

"I'm still thinkin' about it, almost forgot what it was like. Do you know what it feels like? With youu!"

She stood up on the bed, still jumping on it. She grinned, that image of Paul still engraved in her mind even with her eyes now open.

"I can let my hair down! I can say anything crazy! I know you'll catch me right before I hit the ground! With nothin' but a t-shirt on, I never felt so beautiful! Baby, as I do now! Now that I'm with you! With you, with you, with you… With you!

"You speak and it's just like a song," She tossed her head from side to side, letting her hair fall in her face. "And just like that all my walls come down! It's like a private joke just meant for us to know! I relate to you naturally, everybody else just fades away! Sometimes it's hard to breathe, just knowin' you found me!

"'Cuz I'm still thinking about it, I almost forgot what it was like! Do you know what's it feels like? 'Cuz with you…

"I can let my hair down," She ran her fingers through her damp hair.

"I can say anything crazy," She swung her arms from side to side, her hair also swinging from side to side.

"I know you'll catch me right before I hit the ground," She grinned, falling to her knees before quickly standing back up, bouncing on her feet.

"With nothin' but a t-shirt on," She ran her fingers down the front of her piplup shirt. "I never felt so beautiful!

"Baby, as I do now!" she sang, placing one hand over her heart and then using the other to point at a photograph of her and Paul, focusing completely on the half with Paul on it. "Now that I'm with you!

"With you, with you, with you!"

She collapsed to her knees on the bed, that wild grin still on her face. Her heart was pounding and her mind was racing with thoughts of Paul, her strong, amazing, mysterious plum-haired boyfriend. Dawn continued singing,

"Come and take me, love you save me, like nobody else, now I can be myself," She smiled, burying her face in a pillow. "With youuu!"

The song started to repeat the chorus and Dawn simply listened to it this time, her mind preoccupied with thoughts of Paul.

"Dawn, are you home?" her mother called from the hallway.

Dawn quickly turned down her radio and called back, "Yeah, I'm in my bedroom!"

"Good." Her mother entered her room and sat on the edge of her bed. She smiled at the her. "So how was the dance? Did you have fun with Paul?"

"It was wonderful," Dawn sighed dreamily, smiling. "The best dance ever."

"I'm glad," Johanna said, smiling similarly to Dawn. "Now go to bed. I want you to get plenty of rest before we go to Twinleaf in the morning."

"Twinleaf?" she questioned. "Why are we going there?"

"We're going to see Barry's dad," her mom told her. "There's some very important news we would like to share with you."

"Well, alright. G'night mom."

"Goodnight sweetie," her mom whispered, shutting her lamp off.

_Important news? _Dawn thought to herself. _I wonder what that could be._

Perhaps, if Dawn had stopped thinking of Paul for just one moment, she might have noticed the extra cheerful smile her mom was wearing that night after her date with Palmer.

Perhaps, if she had stopped thinking of Paul so much, maybe she would have noticed the way her mother's finger kept stroking a large diamond ring on the ring finger on her left hand.

And perhaps, if she wasn't so busy thinking of Paul every second of the day, she would have realized her mom had just been proposed to…

And then maybe she would have seen her future heartbreak coming.

_.x._

_He said,  
__Her eyes are like sapphires  
__Something he desires  
__He said,  
__Her attitude is like a sapphire  
__Something to admire  
__He said,  
__Her touch is like a sapphire  
__They bring me higher  
__He said,  
__Her lips are like sapphires  
__They catch mine on fire  
__He said,  
__I told you she is like a sapphire  
__But you just called me a liar  
__He said,  
__She is a sapphire…_

* * *

**Sooo, how did everybody like this chapter? :D Did ya like the date? Did ya like the dance? Did ya like the little contestshipping part I put in there? :3 Huh, huh, huuuhhh? Haha, I'm just kidding. Do you tell me what you thought of this chapter in a review though, please. Also feel free to predict or make guesses on what you think will happen next. The last sentence before the poem makes it pretty obvious what will happen, but there will be a twist to it which may (or may not... hopefully it's may... I like surprising people) be unexpected. :3 **

**Which reminds me, THANK YOU TO EVERYONE WHO REVIEWED LAST CHAPTER! I just needed to give you all a shout out because last chapter I got the most review I've gotten from this story yet, so thank youuuu! =)**

**Also, I posted this other story that is only going to be five chapters long called "Five Senses" on Ikarishipping Day, and I would really appreciate it if you checked it out if you hadn't already. (:**

**Now, revieewww! 8D And tell me your opinions, guesses, predictions, any mistakes I have, etc. etc. (:**


	9. Emerald

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **She's the diamond: the beautiful jewel of the school. He's the pearl: his school status is built around his fan girls. Together as a couple they are platinum: malleable, ductile, and maybe over time, highly resistant to the heat around them. Ikarishipping!

_**PART ONE**_—**_Diamond and Pearl_**

**Chapter Nine**

A month have passed since Dawn and Paul had started dating, and three weeks since Johanna got engaged to the famous, wealthy, somewhat conceited, head of the Sinnoh Battle Frontier also known as _Barry's dad._

And now Dawn and Paul were at the annual Battle Tournament for Sinnoh high schools otherwise known as the Sinnoh League, Paul there as a participant and Dawn as a cheerleader. The Sinnoh League was a tournament held once a year between the top trainers in Sinnoh. Only the top ten best trainers in each school got to participate in the league and of course with Paul's amazing strength and unique strategy, it was only obvious he would be one of Veilstone's top ten trainers.

Ash, Gary, Jimmy, Conway, Leaf, Misty, Kimberlee, and the rest of the students who were seniors, were also in the top ten trainer's list at their school, Paul currently at the top of the list.

"Were you in the Sinnoh League last year too?" Dawn questioned as they made their way off the bus, Paul's hand shoved casually in his pockets; Dawn dressed in her blue and white cheerleading outfit, her hair in a ponytail.

"I've been in this tournament all three years now," he confirmed. "Last year I made the top five and the year before the top ten."

"Really?" Dawn said, surprised. "Wow! It's rare for freshmen to get in the top ten. You're better than I thought!" She grinned. "Hmm. This is my third time coming here as a cheerleader, and my second time as a cheerleading captain."

Her eyebrows furrowed together.

"Now that I think about it…" She licked her lower lip, trying to remember way back to last year's tournament. "I may have met you before… last year all the cheerleaders got a picture with everybody who made the top five last year… Actually in fact I probably got a picture of you!"

She dug into her purse and pulled out a wallet filled with pictures of the Sinnoh League the previous two years. She loved taking pictures of boys at the Sinnoh League, and then looking at the pictures later and giggling with May over all the cute boys.

She shuffled through the pictures, looking over every picture briefly before flipping to another one. She stopped when she found a picture of Paul.

"I did take a picture of you!" she exclaimed, grinning at the photograph.

The photograph was a picture of Paul while he was battling an opponent, his Ursaring out on the battlefield. His arms were crossed in the picture and his eyes were focused on the opponent's pokémon. His eyes were blazing with determination.

She flipped over the photograph to see the comments she and May had written on the back.

'Hot guy 101!'

'His hair is pretty.'

'He may have not won the Sinnoh League, but if this was a Hunk League he would win it, no competition'

'Haha. I bet he would also win your heart'

'He already did. His hair did me over. (:'

'You fall too easily Dawn.'

'(:'

Dawn smiled at the glittery pink scrawl that was her handwriting and the red ink that was May's handwriting. She could now remember this afternoon very clearly, the afternoon where her and May had written on the back of each photo she had taken of hot guys, giggling over the cute guys, forgetting about recent breakups.

Paul snatched the picture from her hand and looked at it. He flipped the picture over to the back and began to read their comments; a smirk graced his face.

"A Hunk Contest, eh?" he said, sounding amused. He chuckled softly.

Dawn blushed, but said nothing, a smile on her face as she began to go through more of the pictures. Soon enough she found another picture of him she had taken back in ninth grade. In this picture he was smirking, his hands shoved in his pocket. She turned this photo over too and read the comments.

'Ooh la la. I just found my future husband.'

'He's cute. (:'

'Back off May, he's mine.'

'You can have him. I have Drew. (:'

'I will have him.'

"Hmm… Now that I think about it, I may recall seeing a blue-haired cheerleader on top of a pyramid last year while someone was battling…" Paul mused, a smirk on his face. Dawn giggled, dimples appearing in her cheeks.

She grabbed his hand and began to lead him towards the other cheerleaders who were gathered around in a circle, waiting for her. They stopped a few feet away them, their hands still locked together. Dawn turned to face him and she smiled up at him.

"I'll miss you," she said softly, smiling.

He bent down to kiss her, one of his hands breaking from hers in order to tilt her head up more as he pressed his lips harder against hers. She happily returned the kiss, running her fingers through his lavender locks like she always did when they kissed. When he broke the kiss, she was no longer smiling but rather grinning instead.

"Kick ass," she told him, pecking him one final time on the lips before turning to accompany her awaiting cheerleaders.

"Will do…" he murmured, glancing back at her one last time, still smirking.

When he turned around he spotted Kimberlee a few yards away. She turned away as soon as they made eye contact to talk to a nearby trainer about something. Paul just shrugged this off, and walked towards Gary.

**ooo**

"Took you long enough," Tammy commented, narrowing her eyes at the blunette. The gossip queen cheerleader was half-leaning, half-sitting against a low stone wall, her legs stretched out in front of her. It was obvious she had been watching her and Paul.

Dawn just shrugged this off.

"Okay, so everybody knows the routines, right?"

Everybody hummed a yes and nodded.

"Everybody memorized the cheers for everyone, right?"

"His name is Ash, and your pokémon he will trash! Thunder, Flamethrower, Thrash! Whatever attack you choose, just know you will lose! He is Ash Ketchum, and if you're no chum, he'll send you back crying to your mom!" One of the girls cheered.

"Gary Oak, he's no joke! If you don't think he's strong, then you're about to be proven wrong! He's the best, sure to beat all the rest, he'll put you to the test! He's hard to beat, so you're likely end in defeat!" Another cheerleader chanted.

Tammy chanted another cheer with mock enthusiasm.

"Paul, Paul! Get ready to bawl, get ready to crawl, your pokémon are about fall! He'll beat your pokémon to the Veilstone Mall! He's the man, we're a fan! And as your pokémon drop, he comes closer to the top! Yeah, goooo Paul! Whoo!"

Dawn narrowed her eyes at Tammy, but she nodded with satisfaction.

"Very good," she mumbled. "Hopefully those aren't the only cheers you guys know. We'll meet at our usual spot at one o'clock. If you're a freshman or just joined the squad this year, make sure to stick close to someone who was here last year. You're all dismissed now."

Dawn turned around, about to find Paul, when a familiar voice made her stop.

"There's no way your pokémon can beat mine!" A blonde-haired boy with amber-colored eyes declared loudly from only a few yards away. "My pokémon can pummel yours to the ground!"

"Barry!" Dawn exclaimed, surprised. So Barry was one of the top ten trainers in his school, eh?

Barry turned away from the guy he was currently arguing with to confront her and issue a fine for interrupting his argument.

"DeeDee!" He exclaimed, recognizing her immediately. Dawn grinned as she ran up and engulfed him in a hug.

"It's good to see you again, Barry!" she told him. "And I told you not to call me DeeDee!" Barry just laughed, lifting her a few inches off the ground as he returned her hug.

"So Kenny is allowed to call you DeeDee, but I'm not?" Barry asked as they released their hug on each other. He pouted at her with those chocolate-melting amber eyes of his.

"Actually, no; Kenny isn't allowed to call me DeeDee either," Dawn responded back. "He just calls me it anyway because he's a big butthole." Barry laughed loudly at this and then stopped, blinking as he quickly glanced around.

"Hey!" He shouted. "How dare Coby walk away from me! When I find him I'm going to fine him ten million bucks!"

Dawn laughed, sweat dropping. She decided to change the topic.

"So, eh… our parents are engaged now. It's still hard to believe," she commented, smiling. "Looks like we're going to be step-siblings come September."

"Yeah, I guess," Barry responded, sighing. "What I really can't believe is that my dad is making me give up my pokémon's room to you! I mean, where else are my pokémon supposed to sleep at night?

Dawn cocked her head to the side for a moment in confusion, but then laughed, realizing Barry was probably just joking. It's not like she was going to be moving in with them. She decided to play along with him.

"Um, in a poké ball?"

"Empoleon is always complaining it's too cramp to sleep in at night," Barry responded, crossing his arms. Dawn laughed. "Well, I gotta go Dawn. I need to find Coby so I can fine him! Catch ya later, okay?"

"Sure!" Dawn agreed, grinning.

_.x.x.x._

"Hey, who is that cute guy Dawn is with?" A voice spoke up from behind Paul. He easily recognized the voice as the school's gossip queen, Tammy. He turned to see what she was talking about.

A few hundred yards away Dawn was hugging a somewhat lanky boy that was around his height with hair as yellow as butter. From the distance the only other thing Paul could make out on the boy other than his blond hair was that he was wearing a bright orange-and-white striped shirt, a green scarf, and khaki pants. In Paul's opinion, the kid looked like he could be a total dork.

But what was this feeling starting to claw at Paul's chest? This frustrating ache in his heart? This anger starting to build up in the pit of his stomach? This protective urge that came over him out of no where?

He could see Dawn chatting merrily to the blond-haired dork, a grin plastered on her face. She nodded to the boy before waving to him and calling at him one last time before turning away. Her grin brightened when she spotted him, and she bounded over to him. The feelings in his chest began to subside, but only by a little.

"Who was that guy you were hugging?" Paul asked immediately, the words coming out more demanding than he intended.

She frowned for a second, but then it immediately brightened into an ear-to-ear smile. "What? Are you jealous or something, Paul?" she teased. "He's just an old family friend."

Without realizing it, he breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Good." He grabbed her hand, glancing over his shoulder briefly to make sure that blonde-haired guy was no where to be seen. "Lets go then. The League is about to begin."

"Okay!" she agreed.

* * *

"Hey, have anybody else noticed how Dawn have pretty much ditched us ever since she started going out with prune-boy over there?" Misty casually asked, stirring the lettuce on her plate with a fork.

"You're not the only one," Zoey sighed.

Misty took a bite out of her salad, chewing it and then swallowing before saying, "What happened to best friends forever?"

"She use to complain to us on how much she hated Paul, and now she's all over him like he's some sort of sick, hurt puppy that needs her attention twenty four-seven!" Zoey continued, a frown on her face.

"She reminds me of how May was with Drew," Leaf piped in. May shot a glare towards Leaf, but continued to slurp at her noodles. "First, 'Oh-em-gee! I hate him!' and then 'Nawww, you're the cutest!'"

"I know!" Misty exclaimed.

"C'mon guys, this is the first serious relationship Dawn have ever been in," Marina tried to reason. "She's young and in love… I use to be like this when I first started going out with Jimmy, remember? The two will get tired soon enough of being with each other twenty four-seven and she'll start hanging out with us again."

"But Summer Break is coming up!" Misty exclaimed. "What if she decides to ditch going to camp with me to hang out with him?"

"Or what if she doesn't go to the beach with me?" May continued. "Then I'll be stuck with Max!"

"Or what if she goes somewhere with Paul and she can't come to Kanto with me so she can see my summer house?" Leaf wailed.

"Do you really need her to go to all these places with you?" Marina asked, sweat dropping.

"I'll be all alone up there with annoying brats!"

"I'll be bugged by Max all summer!"

"She won't get to see my summer home!"

"Besides, Dawn always goes to camp with me! She's a counselor up there just like me!" Misty continued determinedly.

"Just calm down," Marina told them. "The world isn't going to end if Dawn can't attend all these places with you guys."

"So you _do _think she'll ditch us for Prune-Boy?" Zoey asked.

"No… But she could also have another excuse for not being able to go to camp with you, Misty, or the beach, or to your summer home, Leaf."

"Like…?"

"Like… a million reasons! I don't know what those reasons could be, but there could be other reasons besides wanting to spend more time with Paul for canceling her plans with you guys. I'm sure she's not going to do that anyway.

"Besides," Marina continued. "The world doesn't revolve around Dawn, right?"

Nobody said anything, and they just stared at either their lunches or the table.

"Right?"

* * *

"What is the name of the Hoenn King that ruled when World War I was going on?"

"King… Emmett… Emmett George… King Emmett George the Fourth!" Dawn declared, a brilliant smile stretching across her face.

"Correct," Paul said.. "And that's the last study card. For today anyway. I'm sure Ms. Shirona will have more for us tomorrow."

Dawn nodded in agreement, groaning. "Ugh! I just can't wait to get that exam over with!" she exclaimed. "I just hope when I take it I do really good! If I do bad, I'll be back down to a D again!"

"But if you pass, you'll get an A," Paul pointed out. "And then you'll have Straight A's again, and you'll be back on the honor roll. Just try to look at the positive things that could happen, not the negative ones."

Another smile flashed across her face.

"I'll try," she whispered, reaching her hand up to cup his face and leaning forward until their lips touched. She pulled away after a good few seconds. "So are you still taking me to Lake Valor tomorrow?" she asked, placing a hand over his.

"Of course," he replied. "I said I would take you there."

"Just double checking," she laughed.

A small smile curved Paul's lips, and he closed his eyes, memorizing her laughter. His thumb stroked the top of her hand as he reopened his eyes, his black irises connecting with irises that were the color of the bottom of the ocean. She gazed warmly back at him, both of them cloak in a silence that wasn't awkward or uncomfortable, just perfect and peaceful.

"My brother was wondering if you could stay and have dinner with us," Paul said after a minute of silence. She smiled warmly back at him. "I don't see why not. I've had dinner here before plenty of times."

"Yeah, but we always eat in my room," Paul responded. "This time we'll have dinner in the dining room, and my uncle is going to be home for dinner today. You still haven't gotten a chance to meet him yet, and my uncle was looking forward to possibly meeting you."

A light pink tinted Dawn's cheeks, and her smile grew bigger.

"Your uncle wants to meet me?" she asked, flattery and surprise present on her face.

"My uncle wants to meet you," he confirmed. "He knows you're the longest girlfriend I've ever had and the only girl I've ever asked out, so he wants to meet you."

Her blush darkened in embarrassment, but she continued smiling. "When is your uncle going to be home?" she queried.

"Considering it's almost seven," Paul said, checking his watch. "Any moment now." He turned back to her, his eyes intensely meeting hers. "So will you stay?"

"Sure," she agreed. "I would love to meet him."

He smirked, his eyes portraying something close to warmth. He took her hand and murmured "lets go" as he led her down the stairs and through the hallway. When they entered the kitchen Reggie was the only one there, cooking some pasta and chicken for dinner.

_My brother is such a housewife, _Paul thought to himself, watching as Reggie prepared the tables with plates, spoons, and forks.

"So I take it you're staying for dinner, Dawn?" Reggie asked warmly, grabbing for a fourth plate to place on the table.

She nodded. "Paul figures it's time I meet your uncle," she replied, smiling as she squeezed Paul's hand.

Reggie chuckled.

"I agree. It's by time Uncle meets the girl Paul just can't stop thinking, or _dreaming,_ of!" He chuckled again, failing to take notice of the deadly glare Paul was now sending him.

"Anyway, take a seat Dawn! Cyrus should be home any minute now!" Reggie chirped.

"Okay," she agreed.

As she sat down on the right side of the table, Paul sitting on her left, she couldn't help but start to feel anxious. Nervous butterfrees began to dance in her stomach, making her feel nauseated somewhat. She placed her hands in her lap, and chewed on her lower lip nervously as she glanced quickly at Paul and then at Reggie who was busy putting food on the plate. Whenever she inhaled through her nose she could smell the aroma of cooked chicken; the sweet scent only made her feel more nauseated.

_I wonder if Paul's uncle will like me, _she couldn't help but wonder. _What if he doesn't like me? What does that mean? He's like the closest thing to a dad Paul has. What would he do if his uncle didn't approve of me? Would he dump me? But his uncle is looking forward to seeing me apparently, so maybe he will like me? But what if he decides he doesn't? Ohh, I hope I make a good impression!_

Dawn sighed mentally.

Why does this suddenly feel like she's getting married and she's seeking her fiancé's parent's approval?

_Oh god, what if something like Meet the Parents happens to me?_

She began to feel even more sick.

"Are you okay, Dawn?" Paul asked. "You look sick."

She smiled at him, although a roll of sweat was dribbling down the side of her forehead, making her bangs stick to her forehead.

"No need to worry!" she reassured him. She turned away from him, returning her attention back to her hands which were in her lap. She swept her bangs away from her forehead, trying to take her mind off her anxieties.

This, of course, didn't happen.

_Well, at least I look good… I think_, she told herself, adding the last part in sudden self-doubt. She glanced down at her outfit which was a buttoned-up black t-shirt with a white undershirt underneath it and a denim mini-skirt.

Oh, why did she have to pick today to wear a mini-skirt?

She began to pull on her skirt, trying to make it go down farther so it looked longer than it really was. But then she had to pull the skirt back up because she decided she didn't want anyone seeing the lacy black underwear she was wearing.

"You're fidgety," Paul commented quietly.

She blushed.

"Sorry," she whispered back.

He didn't say anything, but he kept glancing briefly at her through the corner of his eyes.

_I wonder what his uncle is like,_ Dawn began to wonder. She didn't have much time to think about it because the sound of a car's door slamming shut was heard from outside followed soon after by the sound of a door being unlocked.

_Shit!_

Feeling panicked and scared and feeling the need to run and hide, she jumped up. Paul quickly grabbed her hand and pulled her right back down though before she could make a run for it.

Paul's uncle entered.

When Dawn saw him the first word she thought of was intimidating. But that may have just been because she was just starting to worry on what he was like. His uncle had light blue hair that was spiked up and stern ice blue eyes that matched his hair. He had a stern and cold expression that made Dawn want to hide under the table.

"Hm?"

Dawn froze as he made eye contact with her and she blushed, smiling weakly.

_Crap! He doesn't like me! _She wailed silently in her mind.

But then his gaze softened, and he smiled warmly at her.

"Ah! You're Dawn, aren't you? My nephew's girlfriend?" he asked. He walked over to her, and held out a hand. "I'm Paul's uncle, but you can just call me Cyrus."

"Nice to meet you Cyrus," she said weakly back, shaking his hand. She smiled at him, trying to make the fear on her face disappear.

"Glad to see you got a looker for a girlfriend, my boy," he told Paul, clapping him on his back. "Good job!" Dawn laughed nervously, those butterfrees continuing to swim in her stomach. Paul narrowed his eyes at his uncle but said nothing, a scowl forming on his features along with a small blush.

"So I heard secondhand from Reggie that you're a coordinator," Cyrus started, taking a seat at the head of the table. "Is this true?"

She nodded.

"Yes, this is true," she stated. Hesitantly, not wanting to sound conceited, she added, "I'm one of the best in my class."

"More like _the_ best." She heard Paul comment under his breath. She blushed at this, a warm bubble forming in her stomach at his words. Cyrus smiled, seeming pleased.

"Paul's mom was a coordinator," he responded casually back. "Did he tell you that?" She shook her head. Paul had never mentioned his mom being a coordinator. "His mom was also one of the best in her class, if not the best. My big sister always took her contests and training seriously, and strongly disapproved of those who didn't. She always came off a bit callous, like Paul here, but she really was a kind and generous person."

Dawn wasn't sure what to say, so she just smiled.

"Violet, that's the name of Paul's mother; she was named Violet because of her hair color which was purple." Cyrus looked thoughtful for a moment, as if thinking back to a time long before now. "Paul and Reggie look a lot like her: violet hair, black eyes, fair skin… well, Reggie has the fair skin anyway. Paul is tanned like his father."

She felt Paul stiffen beside her at the mention of his father. She glanced over at him and saw he was glaring at the table. She placed her hand over his and squeezed it comfortingly; he turned toward her and she smiled.

"Reggie's and Paul's father…" Cyrus muttered, staring at his plates of mashed potatoes and roasted chicken as if it was a puzzle he was trying to piece together.

"Is a coward." Paul stated bluntly.

"Paul…" Reggie sighed, shaking his head.

"I wouldn't necessarily say he was a coward…" Cyrus mumbled.

"He is too a coward," Paul spat. "He abandoned me and my brother because our mom died!"

Cyrus smiled.

"You really are like your mother," he chuckled. "Maybe your dad was a coward, Paul… or maybe he wasn't. You have to remember though that while you lost a mother, he lost a wife. He may have abandoned you and your brother, but I suppose that was his way of coping with your mother's death. Different people have different ways of coping with death or handling certain situations."

"And my dad's solution for handling my mom's death was running away," Paul snorted. "Only the cowardly run away."

Cyrus narrowed his eyes at Paul, but said nothing. Lifting up his chicken leg, he tore off a big piece of it, and the room was swallowed by silence and the muffled sound of food being chewed. Dawn stared at her own plate with food on it, absentmindedly stirring her potatoes around with a spoon. She wasn't hungry, still feeling a little queasy from before, but forced herself to chew and swallow some vegetables Reggie had cooked.

For a brief moment an image of Dawn's dad appeared in her mind and she saw him: his thick brown hair, his sparkling blue eyes that were much like hers, the dimples in his cheeks, and the grin on his face as he laughed. She felt her insides squeeze at the memory. Mom and her five-year old self appeared by his side, but then as they appeared he faded away…

She shook her head; she shook the memory away, forcing herself to think of something else.

Finally, Dawn couldn't take the silence anymore.

"So I heard from Paul you are the boss of 'Galactic'," she commented lightly.

Cyrus nodded, swallowing a mouthful of food before speaking. "I am the boss of Galactic. Since I'm the boss of Galactic and the business requires going to a lot of places, we are often on the move. I suppose we'll be moving again soon enough.

"So, what kind of job do your parents have?" Cyrus questioned before Dawn had a chance to think over the last sentence.

"My mom is the boss of a diamond shop," Dawn replied politely back. "She owns all the 'Dawn' diamond shops. That's where I got my name."

Cyrus nodded. "I see," he said quietly. Then he smiled, turning to Paul. "You really picked a keeper, Paul. Beautiful, smart, strong _and_ rich." Dawn blushed, pleased that Paul's uncle seemed to approve of her. Cyrus turned back to her. "So your mom owns all those diamond shop? I see now why you have so many diamond jewelries. Are all those from your mother's shops?"

Dawn shrugged.

"I'm not sure," she confessed. "I suppose. A lot of these were gifts though." She pointed to a diamond ring with a gold band on her left hand. "Like this ring was a gift from my grandfather for my tenth birthday." She pointed to two other diamonds rings on her right hand, one on her thumb and another one on her ring finger. "And these two were given to me by my mom; one for my thirteenth birthday, and another for when I turned sixteen."

"They're very beautiful rings," Cyrus complimented. "Was that necklace a gift too?"

Dawn was silent for a moment as she held the necklace's diamond charm in her hand, tracing the inside of the 'D' with the tip of her finger.

Finally, she smiled. "This… this was a gift from my dad," she revealed. "He… he gave it to me on my fifth birthday. I wear it everyday."

"I see," he said.

Paul glanced briefly at the watch on his wrist.

"It's late. I should be getting Dawn home." He said, his chair screeching as he stood up.

"Ah. Well, it was nice meeting you Dawn," Cyrus told her.

"It was nice meeting you too," she responded, smiling at him, before following Paul out the door.

It was quiet the drive home. Paul concentrated on the road while Dawn watched him, admiring him in every little thing he did. And when Paul stopped the car in front of her house, and she opened the car door to leave, he pulled her back like always and kissed her. She gladly returned the kiss, and when the kiss finally broke, they gazed into the other's eyes.

Finally, Dawn turned away, a blush on her cheeks.

"Bye…" She whispered, smiling shyly at him before leaning in to steal another quick kiss. "Love you." Paul grunted in acknowledgement at her words, but said nothing. She climbed out of the car, flashing him another smile before shutting the car door and walking up to her house. She glanced over her shoulder as she heard the car back out of her yard, and then she entered her house.

Her mom wasn't home, so she assumed she was on another date with Palmer.

She glanced at the pink clock on her wall and saw it was ten past nine.

Dawn glanced at her bed and then the history books and all the notes piled on her desk. She sighed.

She was _not_ about to go back to a D in History all because of some stupid exam.

* * *

"Okay, lets see the dance routine!" Dawn yelled as she muffled another yawn. "Remember, left, right, slide, right, left, slide, backward, forward, clap, fist pump, booty-shake, cartwheel then somersaults and reverse!"

As everybody got in the position for the routine, their chant began to fill the nearly-vacant school grounds.

"Oh! Oh! Oh!

"We're the Azelfs of Veilstone high!  
We send opponents flying in the sky!  
Give it another try, give it another try!  
We'll still send you flying sky high!  
Now say goodbye!"

Clap! Clap! Clap!

"Oh yeah!" Fist pump.

Booty shake.

"Goodbye!"

Cartwheel.

"Goodbye!"

Somersault, somersault, somersault.

"Goodbye!"

Somersault, somersault, somersault.

"Goodbye!"

Cartwheel.

"Goodbye!"

Booty shake.

Fist pump. "Oh yeah!"

"We're the Azelfs of Veilstone high!  
We send opponents flying in the sky!  
Give it another try, give it another try!  
We'll still send you flying sky high!  
Now say goodbye!

"Oh! Oh! Oh!"

The routine ended with more cartwheels and somersaults.

"Good job!" Dawn complimented them, grinning.

Just then she broke into another yawn, but she turned away so the girls couldn't see it. She cringed as she found herself staring into the sun, the bright light burning into her eyes. Trying to appear casual, she stretched her back while trying to appear as if she was simply just trying to touch her toes.

Straightening back up, Dawn smiled as she spotted Paul a few yards away.

Ever since they started going out, Paul started to come to all her early morning cheer practices with her rather than spending most of his morning at the library, reading a book. It always filled Dawn with warmth whenever she saw him sitting there on the grass, watching her.

She felt another yawn coming on.

Well, that's what she gets for staying up almost all night studying for that History quiz… and then sleeping for two hours on the floor after falling off her chair. Now she knew why the girls always complained about her morning practices.

Ugh. The nearly sleepless night were really starting to take their toll on her, and it certainly didn't help that she didn't have time to eat anything for breakfast that morning.

"Okay, lets do the pyramid now, and then we'll call it a day!" Dawn shouted, plastering a fake cheery smile on her face.

Surprisingly, none of the girls whined or complained about this, something Dawn was grateful for.

The girls got in their positions – the freshmen on the bottom, the pyramid's base. With some help, the older girls were soon pushed into their position on the pyramid. Carefully, Dawn made her way to the very top of the pyramid and hoisted herself on top of Tammy and another girl in her grade. The two gripped her ankle securely to make sure she wouldn't fall off.

"Perfect!" Dawn said through gritted teeth, struggling to hold back another yawn. "Okay, now lets… lets make our way…" She stopped and squinted into the sunlight, struggling to see past the blinding light. "Lets… make…"

She was beginning to feel dizzy, her head feeling as if someone was pounding on it. She shook her head and blinked numerous times. The pounding in her head increased. She sucked in a deep breath of air and coughed.

Why was there black spots in her vision?

Wait – why can't she see any colors? Why does she only see black?

"..make our way…" Her voice was hoarse, barely a whisper. "Down…"

Her eyelids fluttered closed as her head began to feel light-headed; her body began to sway. Finally, her body succumbed to her need for sleep, and in the blackness all she could hear were the worried yells of her cheerleaders as she felt her body twisting in the air and then falling.

It felt as if she flying, soaring.

And then…

Oh crap.

That was painful.

Her back hitting the ground, she inhaled sharply, and then she felt her breath being knocked out of her. At first she gasped for breath, but then as her breathing returned to normal, her body began to ache. She could hear screaming, people screaming her name, but the voices sounded miles away to her.

Her eyes closed as a pain shot from her ankle through her leg, and red clouded her vision and then black. The pain subsided as she blacked out. She felt blissfully peaceful now.

_Oh sleep. How I love you, _Dawn thought to herself.

_.x.x.x._

"Dawn, dear?" A soft, feminine voice called her name.

The blunette groaned, squeezing her eyes shut tight so she could no longer see the white spots in her vision. She tried to flip over to her other side, but she couldn't move her right leg. It felt heavy. And painful.

Now that she thought about it, her whole body felt as if it was in pain. Her head was throbbing, her ankle felt swollen, her leg felt scratched and bruised, and everything else felt numb.

"Dawn?" The voice called again.

She moved her mouth, mouthing 'go away'. She attempted to speak the words but could not. Her throat felt raw and sore.

"Is she awake yet?" A male voice asked.

Dawn sighed.

Paul.

She wanted to see him, she wanted to see his face, but she didn't want to open her eyes…

"She's coming through," she replied.

"When do you think she'll be awake Nurse Joy?" Paul questioned.

Wait – Nurse Joy? She was in the nurse's office?

"Soon, hopefully."

"Dawn."

She felt a hand rest on her shoulder, and without thinking her eyes opened, and she found herself staring into Paul's onyx-colored eyes. Paul's lips curved into a small smile and his eyes appeared to be smiling too when he realized she was awake.

She yawned, and stretched her arms high above her head. "Wow, that was a good nap!" she commented cheerfully. Then she looked around. "Where am I? What time is it?"

"It's a few minutes past twelve and you're in the nurse's office, dear," The school's pink-haired nurse, Nurse Joy, told her. "You fainted this morning during cheerleading practice."

"Fainted?" Dawn repeated, snorting. She paused, a thoughtful looking crossing her face. Had she really fainted? She didn't have any recollection of this…

"Yes, fainted," Nurse Joy said. "Did you sleep well last night?"

She shook her head 'no'.

"I was up most of the night, studying," she admitted sheepishly.

"Did you eat breakfast today?"

Again, she shook her head 'no'.

"That explains it," Nurse Joy said, smiling. "Your lack of sleep combined with skipping breakfast must have caused you to blank out and then fall asleep… You had a good nap, I suppose?"

"Very," she agreed, also smiling. Then she frowned. "Wait, it's lunchtime already? I missed half the day?"

"Afraid so," she responded.

A deflated look fell upon Dawn's face.

"I've also contacted your mom about this, Dawn, and she was very worried about you." Nurse Joy informed her.

"Really? What did you tell her?" she questioned.

"Just that you fainted, but then I reassured her you were still breathing," she responded. "Which reminds me, I should go call her up right now and tell her that you're now awake. I'm sure she'll be very glad to hear that. Your boyfriend can keep you company while I'm gone, okay?"

As Nurse Joy walked out of the small nurse's room to call her mom, she turned to Paul.

"You stayed with me this whole time?" she asked, a warm bubble forming in her stomach.

He shook his head.

The bubble popped.

"I'm only here now because it's lunchtime," he responded. Dawn's face deflated, and he quickly added, "But I did carry you to the nurse's office, and I did stay until the bell for class rang." Dawn's smile returned.

She pushed herself upward until she was sitting upright, but she was surprised when she felt a painful jolt go through her leg as she moved it while her back began to ache badly. She took a sharp intake of breath as her hand flew to her mouth. Paul, who was sitting on the bed she was lying down on, stood up.

"Nurse Joy said you sprained your ankle, so you probably shouldn't move it much," he told her. "There was also some scrapes and bruises on your back since you fell on it, so you should just lie down."

Sighing impatiently, she flopped back down on the nurse's bed. She cringed as another pain shot through her leg. Fully awake now, she quickly realized her entire body felt sore and tired, not just her back and leg. She groaned, heaving another tired sigh as she closed her eyes.

She felt Paul take her cold hand in his. Opening her eyes, she turned her head to look at him, trying to not think about how much pain she was in. She could see he was staring at her hand as if deep in thought or as if concentrating on something.

Closing her eyes again, she turned away from him, and when she opened her eyes again she was back to staring at the ceiling. The white, white ceiling…

"Miss Berlitz?"

"Yeah?" she sighed.

"I called your mother, and she's going to be picking you up now," Nurse Joy told her.

"I have to go home?" She frowned.

"Your mom _is_ picking you up, so… yes. You have to." She could hear Nurse Joy's footsteps as she walked out of the room, leaving her alone once more with Paul.

She groaned in annoyance, but said nothing else and just glared up at the ceiling.

"Are you okay?" Paul asked after a minute.

"I'm fine…" She responded. "Just a little annoyed that I have to go home early." She turned to him and smiled. "No need to worry though! I'm already beginning to feel better!"

"You don't have to go on that date with me tonight," He said quietly. "You can just stay home and rest."

"No way!" she exclaimed. "I'm fine, really!" As if to prove her point, she jerked upwards and climbed out of the nurse's bed. She wasn't fast enough to hide the grimace that graced her face immediately upon doing so.

Paul glared at her.

"Dawn, sit back down."

She glared at him in response but obeyed.

"I'm still going on that date with you," she told him stubbornly.

Just then, the bell for lunch to end rang.

"If you say so," Paul sighed. "Then I'll pick you up at eight like planned." He dropped her hand gently on top of her chest as he got up to leave for his next class.

_.x.x.x._

When Dawn got home (and after evading all of her mom's worried questions), she immediately went to her bed, and napped until it was seven o'clock and almost time for her date with Paul.

She had just gotten dressed after picking out her outfit for her date with Paul when her mom knocked on her door.

"Sweetie, are you up?" she questioned.

Dawn hesitated for a moment, afraid her mother might start up on worrying about her health and would continue in asking annoying questions like "are you sure you're alright?", "are you feeling okay?", "are you still sore?", etc.

"Yeah, I'm up," she called after a while.

The door squeaked as Johanna entered.

Dawn glanced at her for a second before turning back to applying some strawberry-flavored lip-gloss.

"You look very pretty," Johanna commented lightly, and sat on the edge of Dawn's bed. "Another date with Paul?"

"He's taking me to Lake Valor," she confirmed.

She stood up and walked over to her body-sized mirror which was inside her walk-in closet. She pursed her lips together thoughtfully as she studied her outfit, a dark midnight blue short-sleeved button-up shirt with a white undershirt underneath, a denim mini-skirt, white tights and black boots that went right below her knees. It was nothing special; she was just in the mood to wear something casual. She walked back to her dresser to clip her hair back with her usual triangular gold clips.

"What do you guys usually do at Lake Valor anyway?" Johanna questioned. "You two certainly go there enough."

"It's our 'special place', as I like to call it." Dawn responded, smiling as she began to brush her blue locks. "And we go swimming there and talk about stuff… sometimes we try to find constellations in the sky… Nothing you need to worry about mom. I'm not pregnant _yet._" She winked at her mom.

Johanna's eyes widened slightly and her jaw dropped open. Dawn laughed.

"Kidding, mom. I'm just kidding. I'm still a virgin."

"You better be," she responded sharply back, still in shock. "And it better stay that way until you're married!"

Dawn sweat dropped, chuckling lightly.

"I'm serious, Dawn."

She rolled her eyes and sighed, beginning to regret even opening that door.

"Anyway, I came in here to tell you that you need to start packing soon." Johanna told her.

"Packing? Why are we packing?" she questioned. "Are we going on vacation or something?" She turned to her mom to see her frowning.

"Didn't I tell you?" she asked. "Dawn, we're moving."

Moving?

Her movements slowed as the words sunk in, and as the full meaning of the words sunk in the brush dropped from her hand and landed on the dresser with a _thunk!_.

"Moving?" she repeated shrilly, sharply turning around, eyes now wide. "What do you mean _moving?_"

"I mean we're moving to Twinleaf," her mom responded. "We're moving in with Palmer and Barry. Palmer and I _are_ getting married, Dawn."

Dawn turned away from her mom, and stared at her reflection in the mirror which was attached to her dresser. She could see her eyes were dull with a hint of surprise in them, and her mouth was gaped open a bit. The words were still sinking in.

"…_we're moving to Twinleaf…"_

Twinleaf… Her birth town, her hometown… The place she was born, the place filled with childhood memories, the place filled with bad memories, good memories… memories of her dad lived there… Twinleaf, the town filled with ghosts of the past.

"…_we're moving in with Palmer and Barry…"_

They were moving? To Twinleaf? But that would mean…

Leaving behind everything else.

Leaving behind the memories.

Leaving behind her popularity.

Leaving behind her friends.

Leaving behind Paul…

Feeling tears begin to fill her eyes, she blinked them back, and the empty void in the pit of her stomach was replaced by many more emotions: sadness, anger, fright… She whipped around to face her mother, her chest heaving, tears threatening to ruin her makeup.

"Mom! You can't do this to me!" she shrieked. Her breath was becoming raspy.

Her mom blinked, shocked.

"Dawn, honey, we're just mov—"

"You can't do this, mom!" she yelled again, stomping her foot this time for effect. She knew she was acting like a brat, but at the moment, she just didn't care. "You can't do this! I have friends here, mom! And a boyfriend! I can't leave! You can't do this to me!"

"We're moving Dawn," her mom told her. "It doesn't mean you have to give up your friends or Paul."

"But Twinleaf is a three hours drive away from Veilstone!" she insisted. "Mom! Please, don't!"

Her mom's eyes hardened. "We're moving Dawn. I already told Palmer we would be more than happy to move to Twinleaf and move in with him," Johanna responded sternly.

"I'm not happy about this though! I don't want to move in with them, Mom!" Tears were now streaming freely down her cheeks along with the mascara she had only recently applied.

"We're moving Dawn. I'm sorry, but I already ordered a van and boxes for moving." She said.

"I'm not packing, and I'm not moving! I refuse to!" she shouted back. "You are the worst mom ever! How could you decide to move without even telling me first or asking what I thought of this? Well, I'm not moving! I'm staying!"

"Dawn!" Johanna roared angrily. "You will not speak to me like that!"

"I'm not moving!"

"Dawn Berlitz, say one more word and you will be ground—"

"What about dad?" she yelled suddenly.

Johanna was silent, shock written on her face.

Dawn wiped at her eyes and her ruined makeup with a Kleenex, wiping the mascara stains off her cheeks along with the blush she had just put on.

"What about dad, huh? What about him? Did you just forget about him?" she continued, glaring at her mom through watery eyes. "You forgot him, didn't you? You forgot about him! You don't care about him! Well, I didn't forget about him!"

Johanna stared helplessly at her daughter.

"Dawn, I…"

The doorbell rang.

They were both silent as the ring of the doorbell echoed through the house and in their ears.

"Forget it…" Dawn muttered, turning away from her mom. With one final glare at her mom, she walked out of the door, a mix of fury, hurt and betrayal gripping at her heart like a fist.

She half ran, half stumbled down the stairs, still limping slightly due to her sprained ankle. Quickly, she went into the downstairs bathroom and fixed up her makeup, and blinked away her tears until her eyes were no longer red and puffy. After fixing up her hair, she exited the bathroom and stopped right in front of the door; she forced a huge smile on her face. She opened the door.

"Paul!" She exclaimed, engulfing him in a hug immediately.

Paul stumbled back a foot, surprised. Awkwardly, he returned the hug.

"Good to see you're feeling better," he said after a moment or two.

"Yeah… I'm feeling way better now," she whispered. Releasing the hug, she smiled up at him and intertwined her hand with his. "C'mon, lets go now…" She whispered.

Paul nodded and led her to his truck.

They both climbed into the truck and he started the engine, glancing at her through the corner of his eyes every now and then as she fiddled with her hands and bit her lower lip, keeping her eyes glued to the side window.

"Is something wrong?" he questioned.

She turned to him and smiled, shaking her head.

"Nothing's wrong. Everything is fine."

She turned back to her window, her eyes trained thoughtfully on the passing trees.

About twenty minutes later they arrived at Lake Valor. It would be another ten minutes before they really arrived at Lake Valor though.

After grabbing their towels and a blanket to lie down on, she intertwined her hand with his once more as he led her towards the lake. Twigs cracked under their sandals, branches brushed each other and made a scraping noise as they pushed through them, and pebbles made a soft thump whenever they were kicked accidentally.

But all of those small noises were not enough to keep Dawn's mind off of her fight with her mom, and they could not stop her from being scared of moving away from everything that was hers. She didn't want to leave. She didn't want to leave her friends and boyfriend behind.

What if they forgot about her? What if Zoey found a new best friend? What if May, Misty, Leaf and Marina decided they didn't like her anymore? What if Paul found someone else? What if they all found someone they liked more than her, someone better?

Dawn looked up as she saw a stream of milky silver light ahead. She smiled as a few seconds later the lake came into view, shining silver in the nearly full moonlight, and reflections of a trillion stars shining in the lake like a painting.

Absolutely beautiful.

"Let go in the lake," Paul said, tugging on her hand.

Dawn bit her lower lip nervously, and glanced up at him. "I just wanna talk though… and lie down…" she replied softly. "I… I'm still kind of sore…" She lied. "Plus, I sort of forgot to put on my bathing suit." She smiled sheepishly at this last part.

"Ah." He said. He pulled his hand briefly away from hers to lay the blanket they bought with them down. After they were both settled down on the blanket, Dawn turned to him, and she hugged her knees self-consciously.

"Paul?"

"What is it?" he asked, turning to her.

She licked her lower lip, glanced up at him and then back down, and then said, "How can you stand moving so much? Don't you miss the friends you make or anything?"

"Not really." He responded.

She frowned, her eyebrows furrowing together.

Did that mean he wouldn't miss her if he just-so-happened to move again?

"Even though I suppose I would miss you if I was to move again," he added quickly after seeing her frown. "You would be the only person I would miss though." She smiled at this, a sad smile. She leaned over and kissed him briefly, his lips sweet-tasting against hers.

She didn't want to leave him…

He was everything to her, he completed her. He was like her exact opposite, cold and indifferent while she was warm and bubbly, but like they said, opposites attract. He was imperfect but perfect, scarred but beautiful, everything she wanted and everything she would have to leave behind.

And she… she…

"I got you something," he said softly after breaking their kiss. He dug into his coat pocket and dug out a red velvet box. He handed it to her. She stared at the box, her heart racing at an impossible speed.

"Open it," he ordered gently.

She obeyed and smiled.

Inside the red velvet box there were two diamond studs that were earrings.

"They're beautiful!" she exclaimed, placing them in her ears.

Her smile broadened at the small smirk gracing Paul's features. Her hand brushed briefly over the small earring in her ears and then the pearls on the bracelet he gave her just a little less than a month ago. Tears filled her eyes and she threw her arms around him again, burying her nose in his chest. She sobbed joyfully into his chest, hiccups escaping her mouth. Paul wrapped his arms around, pulling her closer to him as he stroked her blue tresses.

Paul have been so great to her. He gave her amazing gifts, took her whenever he could on her dream date to Lake Valor, and he was the only boy she ever dated who made her truly feel this way… the only boy who made her feel this warm, fluffy feeling inside her chest… the only boy who made her believe he cared for her. She trusted him.

He was so amazing, he was perfect. Truly perfect. Forget everything else, forget his flaws, his mistakes, his imperfections, he was perfect. There was nobody more perfect out there.

And she… she… she…

She loved him.

And she had to leave him. She had to leave him behind in Veilstone while she moved on to Twinleaf, only getting to see him maybe once a month, maybe once every two weeks if she was lucky. She would see him for one day, maybe two, and then she would be starved of his absence once more.

All because her mother fell in love a second time and was getting married… and now they were moving to Twinleaf. _She _would be moving to Twinleaf. She would be forced to leave everything behind once again.

_I left everything behind in Twinleaf… and now I will have to leave everything behind again, this time in Veilstone._

All the unwanted memories would return, the memories of her and her dad, and the sadness and the loneliness would creep back in. She didn't want to remember them, she just wanted to leave the memories, the ghosts of the past, alone.

Paul was all she needed now, all she wanted now.

"I-I love you…" Dawn choked into his jacket.

_I really, really do. More than I can take, more than you could ever know…_

She wanted him to say the words back, but he didn't. He just continued stroking her hair, holding her in a hug as she cried into his chest.

"I love you, I love you so much," she whispered, her voice hoarse. A tear slid down one cheek and she repeated the words. "I love you, I love you. I love you so much, Paul…"

Much to her disappointment, he still didn't say the words back to her. But then again, it's not like she honestly expected him to. After all, she always told him she loved him – usually when they were about to depart, like when he took her home after tutoring or after a date of theirs. Usually all he did was nod briefly, grunt, and kiss her lightly on the forehead. He never said the words back though.

Was it possibly because he didn't feel the same way she did?

_No. Impossible, _Dawn decided.

But then again, she usually tossed the words around like they were nothing, like they had no meaning. But this time… there was meaning.

So much meaning in the words when she said them… She much meaning it made her throat hurt, it made her heart throb… Emotion filled her heart like water being poured into a water balloon. The emotion was sweet, so sweet, but painful at the same time. It was a bittersweet emotion.

She didn't say the words carelessly this time. This time, she truly meant the words. She believed the words. The words were true.

But still, he didn't say the words back. Dawn didn't mind though.

Paul believed the words, and the words affected him, but he didn't show it.

"I love you…" She whispered again, her eyes fluttering closed as she leaned forward again, stopping an inch short from his mouth. Her hot breath brushed against his lips as she whispered the words one last time.

"I love you."

She pressed her lips forcefully against his, her hand trailing down his chest.

Love.

_And I would do anything for you…_

Her hand stopped at the zipper on his jacket as she unzipped the rest of his jacket. She pushed the jacket off his shoulders and off his arms. She threw it to the side when it was off. Paul deepened the kiss, his hand cupping the back of her head as he pushed his lips harder against hers. His lips were hot, burning.

Sadness.

_I don't want to leave you…_

She broke the kiss for a moment to catch her breath; Paul's lips crashed onto hers only a few moments later, his tongue slipping into her mouth. Her hand slipped under his shirt and their kiss broke for another second as she pulled it over his head, his muscles now free to gleam in the moonlight.

Anger.

_I'm not going to leave. I refuse to leave. Mom is not going to make me move._

She wasn't going to leave.

With that thought in mind her hand trailed to her shirt as she quickly unbuttoned the shirt, and shrugged the shirt off. Paul's hands grabbed her shoulders as he pushed her back until she was lying on her back, and his body hovered over hers as his mouth pressed roughly against her neck, his mouth wet and hot. His hands slid under her shirt and she pulled away from him, lifted her arms up, and allowed the undershirt to be pulled over her head.

His lips engulfed hers once more in another kiss, emotions out of control. Through the passion and the heat though Dawn only one thought was on her mind, and that one thought stayed with her throughout the night:

_I love you, Paul… _

_And it doesn't matter what my mom says…_

…_Because I'm not leaving you._

_I refuse to._

* * *

He was in a room that was only dimly-lit, a single candle being the only source of light in the small room. From outside the room he could hear the buzz of chatter and laughter. Turning a bronze knob, he opened the door and then walked outside the classroom. He glanced around, searching for a familiar face.

He didn't recognize any of these people.

Frowning, he began to walk away, making his way through the crowded hallway. People stared at him as he walked by, but he did not recognize any of their faces. They all looked so… strange and unfamiliar to him… he didn't know any of them.

"_Hey, dude! Give me your lunch money!" _A voice shouted.

Paul looked to his side and saw a raven-haired boy slam a smaller, brown-haired boy into the lockers. The boy whimpered in fear, his green eyes wide.

"_Give me your lunch money!" _The raven-haired boy shouted again.

Paul was about to continue walking, but then stopped.

Wait, he knew this boy.

"_Ash?" _He said the boy's name in disbelief.

The raven-haired boy turned to him sharply, allowing the brown-haired boy a chance to escape. His chocolate colored eyes were blazing as he glared at him.

Paul was shocked as he took in Ash's appearance. Like always his hair was sloppy, but now so were his clothes: his pants were faded and had holes in each knees, the short sleeved white t-shirt he wore was covered in stains, and he was wearing a faded denim vest with as many stains and holes as his pants and shirt. He was also wearing his red cap backwards, and was wearing black fingerless gloves.

"_What do you want, Paul?" _he snapped.

"_Since when did you turn into a bully?" _he retorted, meeting the boy's glare. Ash simply laughed, dark and menacing.

This was not Ash. What happened to him?

He turned away, shocked beyond belief, when he saw another familiar face.

"_Drew?"_

Drew looked up, looking scared as he saw who had said his name.

"_Um…" _he mumbled, looking down on his feet.

Paul quirked an eyebrow and walked over to the chartreuse-haired teen. _"What are you doing?" _Paul asked, glaring suspiciously at him. Drew flushed red, continuing to stare at his feet.

Paul scowled, annoyed as Drew continued to say nothing.

"_Drew!"_

"_Please don't hurt me…" _he whimpered, backing up a few feet.

"_What the hell, Drew—"_

"_Oh, leave the little crybaby alone, Paul." _A voice from behind him sneered. Paul turned around and saw May, Dawn's friend. He frowned as he saw the expensive clothes she was wearing and the shopping bags in her hands. She continued, _"If Drew wants to cower in a corner, let him. It only shows how _pathetic_ he is."_

Drew turned away from May's taunting sneer, a sad look like a puppy getting kicked in the gut forming on his features. May laughed menacingly at him before walking past him, her hips swinging from side to side as she did.

Paul frowned as he watched her leave.

May was the mean girl? What the hell? May was sweet and naïve, not the conceited kind who sneered at every unpopular kid that walked by. And what the hell was up with Drew? Drew wasn't the kind to hide in a corner or the kind who allowed others to push him around. And Ash most definitely wasn't the kind to bully people; he was the most generous, kind-hearted idiot Paul knew who thought of nothing else than helping those in need and smiling at every weak pokémon that loses a battle. So what was he doing bullying people for their lunch money?

Ash was the bully, May was the mean girl, and Drew was the nerd who everyone picked on… what was going on here?

_Dawn! _

Was Dawn different too?

Just then, Ash passed by again, about to bully another kid apparently.

"_Where's Dawn?" _he demanded. Ash laughed, and Paul frowned.

"_Dawn isn't here," _Ash laughed, grinning cruelly. _"She moved. Don't you know anything?"_

"_She didn't move."_ Paul retorted.

Ash rolled his eyes, no longer grinning. _"Whatever. Waste your time looking for her then; you're not going to find her here."_ With that said, he walked away, pushing another kid against the locker.

"_Hey, you, where's my lunch money?" _he demanded.

Paul turned away, frowning.

Suddenly, a flash of blue caught his eyes.

Dawn!

"_Dawn!" _He yelled. The girl didn't turn around. _"Dawn!" _He grabbed her shoulder and wheeled her around. He blinked, shocked. This girl wasn't Dawn. She looked like her, but she wasn't her.

She had blue hair the same shade as Dawn's hair and blue eyes that matched the color of her hair, but she wore dark makeup: black eye shadow, white powder that made her face paler than it was, and too much eyeliner. This wasn't Dawn.

She pushed away from him, snorting in disgust.

Another flash of blue caught his eye.

This girl also looked identical to Dawn, but wasn't her. This one wore thick-rimmed black glasses and had braces. She also wore dorkier and cheaper clothing than Dawn would even dare to look at.

Paul turned around, and he took a step back as he saw the huge crowd of blue that belonged to blue-haired girls, girls that all looked like Dawn but weren't her.

Gothic Dawn, Nerdy Dawn, Tattooed Dawn, Rebellious Dawn… Dawn, Dawn, Dawn… They all looked like Dawn, but they weren't her. They weren't Dawn…

"_Dawn!" _He called her name, shoving through the crowd of Dawns, desperate to find the real one. _"Dawn! Dawn!" _Bully Dawn, Bad-Girl Dawn, Poor Dawn…

Where was Dawn? The real Dawn? One of them had to be the real one! She must have been in front of him, he just hasn't realized it yet. She had to be one of the many Dawns in front of him. One of them had to be the real her.

"_Hey Paul. Didn't recognize me, did you?"_ A voice laughed from behind him

Paul wheeled around, his eyes meeting ocean blue.

_.x.x.x._

Paul woke up with a start, his dream replaying in his mind while the end was a timeless blur. Remembering the last few minutes of the dream, he glanced down at the sleeping girl in his arms.

He stared at her with something close to admiration, awestruck at the white glow being emitted off her skin from the moonlight. He ran his fingers through her tangle-free hair, watching as the blanket wrapped around her body moved in perfect sync to her breathing.

He frowned when he remembered his dream. Dawn was right here, and she was the same old Dawn he remembered.

He checked the watch on his wrist and sighed. It was late. He had to get her home before morning.

He glanced at the sleeping blunette. He didn't want to wake her up when she looked that peaceful, but he knew he had to.

"Dawn," he called softly, shaking her shoulder. "Dawn, wake up. It's late. You need to go home."

She mumbled something softly in her sleep before turning over.

"Dawn," he called again, shaking her shoulders more roughly. "Wake up." She sighed, her mouth opening in a yawn as she stretched her arms high above her head.

"Put on your clothes," he told her, throwing her clothes at her. "We have to leave soon."

"Ugh. Fine…" she mumbled, still half asleep.

About fifteen minutes later they climbed back into his truck, and twenty minutes after that Paul stopped at Dawn's house and walked her to her front door to ensure she wouldn't fall or hurt herself in any way. She was still sore from her accident this morning (and other events), and he had to nearly carry her when they hiked back to his truck.

"G'night, Paul…" She mumbled, pecking his cheek drowsily.

"'Night…" he whispered, kissing her forehead. She smiled at him before closing the door behind her and locking it. She could hear the ignition of his truck and the crunch of gravel as he drove away. She sighed, a dreamy smile plastered on her face.

Still sleepy, she climbed upstairs to her bedroom and after changing into her pajamas, she collapsed onto her bed. She fell asleep immediately.

_.x.x.x._

Weak sunlight creeped through the window. It was Friday, a school day, Dawn recalled, remembering yesterday was Thursday. She remembered that because she didn't have a tutoring lesson with Paul yesterday; they did have a date though…

Dawn sighed contently, flipping onto her other side. She was surprised when she found she was still sore. She wouldn't have thought she would still be this sore from falling a few feet off the pyramid after a day passed by. It wasn't even her ankle that was sore. There was only a faint soreness in her ankle, but the main pain came from between her legs.

She flipped onto her other side, groaning.

She began to recall yesterday: falling off the pyramid, her fight with her mom, her date with Paul…

Her eyes snapped open as she recalled her date.

"Damn it…" She cursed.

She groaned, burying her face in her pillow.

What she had she just done?

_Damn it, damn it, damn it!_

She did not just lose her virginity… she did not…

_Damn it…_

_.x.x.x._

Cheerleading practice had been cancelled that morning due to her sprained ankle. She was grateful for this since she was in no condition to be doing flips and cheers anyway. It wasn't that she regretted last night, but she preferred not thinking about it. She felt stupid. Slutty.

Exposed…

She wondered if anybody noticed the way she was walking, her legs close together as she walked, she shoulders hunched together, standing up straighter than she usually did. Her walking was stiff pretty much with as little movement as possible.

She spotted Paul a few feet away, and he spotted her too. He noticed the way she was walking, and he walked over to her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Are you okay?" he questioned quietly in her ear. "From… last night?"

She smiled at him, a forced smile. "No need to worry!" she reassured him quietly. "I'm fine. Really. Just a little… sore." _Both physically and mentally, _she added in her mind.

"Hey, Dawn, are you alright?"

They both glanced up to see Tammy and Kimberlee, both with worried looks on their face. Dawn blushed, wondering if they knew about last night…

"Huh?" she squeaked.

"Tammy told me you fell off the pyramid yesterday during cheer practice," Kimberlee clarified, looking only at her, obviously avoiding Paul's eyes. "Are you okay? I heard from someone that you fainted or something…?"

Oh.

Dawn laughed weakly, sweat rolling down the side of her face. "O-oh… I-I'm fine, really… I just fainted, like you said."

"Why did you faint though?" Tammy queried, her eyes bright with curiosity.

"From lack of sleep and forgetting to eat breakfast." She smiled sheepishly.

"Are you still sore? You fell pretty high," Tammy commented. "We noticed you were walking sort of weird."

She felt Paul's arm wrap tighter around her waist, and she felt a blush warm her cheeks. "O-oh… That's just because I sprained my ankle from the fall." She stretched her aching muscles above her head. "I guess I'm still a little stiff from my fall too."

"Ah." Kimberlee mumbled.

"Well, glad you're okay Dawn!" Tammy chirped cheerfully. "See ya later!"

"Yeah, bye Dawn." Kimberlee said, glancing quickly at Paul and then at her.

"Bye…" she called quietly back, sighing to herself. She turned Paul and then waited until they were out of earshot to say, "I don't think Kimberlee likes me all that much anymore."

"What makes you say that?" he responded, quirking an eyebrow.

She shrugged. "I just think she doesn't like me all that much anymore. I think she's mad at me because you asked me out right after you broke up with her and I said yes."

"That's a stupid reason to not like you," Paul snorted.

"Um, not really," Dawn responded. "I know I wouldn't like it if I was going out with a guy who I really liked, and then he dumps me for no reason and asks another girl out. I would hate both the guy and the girl."

"Well, then that can be something we have in common," Paul said, a smirk sliding across his face. "We're both hated by Kimberlee." She punched him in the arm and rolled her eyes.

"Jerk…" she muttered, grinning.

* * *

"May I help you, sir?" A cute blonde-haired girl who worked at the store Drew was currently in questioned him as he browsed through some charms in the jewelry section of the store.

He shook his head, and flicked his bangs. "No, I don't need any help. Thanks anyway." The girl nodded and walked over to another customer to ask if they needed any help.

Drew turned back to the charms he was browsing through. He smirked as he spotted a skitty charm. A few minutes later he also found a charm that was a bowl filled with needles and a blaziken which was the last pokémon charm he needed for the charm bracelet he was going to give May.

He counted the charms he had.

Three charms that spelled her name, seven pokémon charms that were of pokémon she had, a ribbon charm that represented being a coordinator, a bowl of noodle that represented her love for noodles, a horseshoe charm that showed her tendency to rely on luck, and a shopping bag charm since she loved shopping, which added up to 14 charms total.

May's charm bracelet was basically packed.

Drew went up to the cash register.

"Is this all?" The lady asked. He nodded. "Okay, so lets see. The bracelet itself is ten dollars and all the added charms are six dollars each, so lets see… Fourteen times six is…" She did some quick math in her head. "Eight-four plus the extra ten adds up to ninty-four dollars total." The clerk smiled sweetly at him as she held out her hand expectantly.

Drew sighed as he took out his wallet and plucked out a one-hundred dollar bill. He had been saving up the money in hopes of buying some new clothes with them, but hey, if a thoughtful gift was going to bring May back to him, it was so worth the money.

"Here's your change." The girl added him a five and a one which he pocketed. He thanked the clerk as she handed him a gift bag with the charm in it.

"Thanks! Come again!" she called cheerfully after him.

"Drew!"

"Hm?" The chartreuse-haired teen turned around to see Dawn, waving and grinning at him from only a few feet away, next to some blonde-haired dude with amber-colored eyes. She jogged up to him, a sly smirk on her features.

"What's in the bag?" she asked.

"A gift for May," he responded coolly back.

"Ha! I knew it!" Dawn cheered.

"Yep! This is the new app, and it is by far the coolest!" A loud voice declared from nearby. Drew turned his head a few degrees to see the blonde-haired boy Dawn was with surrounded by a group of girls who was admiring his pokétch. "And this is the latest pokétch brand too! It plays music and everything!"

Dawn gasped from beside him.

"You never told me you had the latest pokétch brand!" Dawn said, pushing her way through the crowd of girls to grab his hand. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the flashy new technology.

The boy smirked smugly.

"Yep! And the coolest thing about this new pokétch is that you can play all kinds of games on it like poké zapper where you battle and defeat a bunch of aliens!" He declared. "And when I got this it came with ten free totally new apps! Like there's this one app that…"

Drew quirked an eyebrow, and then shook his head as he continued on his way out of the mall. He was still thinking about his recent encounter with Dawn and that conceited blonde-haired boy when he spotted Ash and Paul a few feet away.

"Hey!" he called to them. They both turned to face him.

"What are you guys doing here?" Drew questioned. "Especially you Paul. Since when do you go to malls?"

"Since I need supplies that the pokémart doesn't have," Paul snorted. "Ash and I were battling in the park nearby. We came here too cool off in the shade."

"Yeah," Ash said. "What are you doing?"

"And what's with the girly gift bag?" Paul asked, cringing at the sight of the small gift bag with the face of some model on the bag.

Drew rolled his eyes. "I was getting a gift for May."

"Still trying to win her back?" Paul guessed, rolling his eyes.

"For a matter of fact, yes I am still trying to win her back," he responded coolly back. "Which reminds me, I saw Dawn just a few minutes ago, Paul."

"Really?" he said. "What is she doing here?"

He shrugged. "Who knows. Probably going shopping for the Prom. It's in like two weeks. Usually she goes shopping with her friends such as Zoey and May, but the only person I saw her with was some dorky blonde kid," Drew snorted.

Paul raised an eyebrow.

"Wait – she was with a blonde kid?" Paul repeated.

He nodded.

"Yeah. Some blonde guy wearing a striped shirt and a green scarf." He paused thoughtfully. "Why? Jealous, Paul?"

Paul snorted.

"No."

Drew smirked. "Really? Because if I was you, I _would_ be jealous. You should have seen the way she was fawning over that brand new pokétch he was wearing. I'm sure if you were there Paul, you would have ripped off some heads, Paul."

"I doubt that." He responded.

"Whatever you say," Drew laughed, flicking his hair.

Paul glared at him.

"Hey, Romeo, here comes your Juliet," he said sarcastically.

"Huh?" Drew turned around, and he smirked when he spotted May who had just exited the mall, only a few feet away.

"Juliet, here comes Romeo," Drew said as he walked towards the brunette. "Hey! May!" The brunette turned around, confusion present in her sapphire-colored eyes. Her eyes narrowed when she realized it was him who called her name.

"What do you want, Drew?" she demanded, glaring at him.

He smirked as he pulled a rose somewhere from behind his back. "Oh, I just came to give you a gift." He responded suavely back, handing her the rose.

She looked at the rose for a moment, dumbfounded, and she sighed exasperatedly, her eyes back to glaring at him. "Is this your gift, Drew, because I wouldn't exactly call this a gift considering you give me a rose nearly whenever you can."

"Ha." He flicked his hair. "As if, May."

She growled at him, her eyes portraying anger and impatience. "Would you get lost Drew, I'm not in the mood."

He frowned at her, his spirit dampened by her sour attitude. "Geez, what has your panties in a bunch?" he questioned, scowling at her.

"What's it to you?" she shrieked. Huffing angrily, she pushed past him.

"Wait, May, I'm sorry." He grabbed her wrist, keeping her in place. She tugged at her arm, trying with no avail to pull free from his grip. She growled angrily under her breath, her eyes a fiery pit of hell as she glared at Drew.

"Let go of me, Drew!" she shrieked.

"Listen, May, I'm sorry for always lying to you and hurting you when we were still together! Please just listen—"

"You're not forgiven!" she screamed, tears shinning in the corner of her closed eyes as she tugged her wrist free from Drew's grip and knocked the gift bag Drew was holding to the ground. The bracelet fell out of the bag with a cling.

With another angry huff she turned around and ran.

Drew stared helplessly after her, shocked by May's actions.

Was she ever going to forgive him?

* * *

"Okay, get this: okay, so you know how I went to Jessica's house yesterday and Jessica lives next to Dawn?" Paul could overhear Tammy saying to some friends of hers, one of them being his ex, Kimberlee.

"Yeah?"

Paul opened his locker, and pulled out a book which he shoved into his backpack. He pulled out a different book from backpack and traded it in for another book from his locker. He could still hear Tammy and her friends gossiping to each other from the other side of the hall, near the school's exit.

"Okay, so I was down Jessica's house and I just-so-happened to glance at Dawn's house and I saw a boy over there. And it _wasn't_ Paul."

"Yeah, so?" Kimberlee said.

"Wait – Dawn doesn't have any brothers. She's an only child, isn't she?" Another girl asked.

"Exactly!" Tammy exclaimed.

"So what did the boy look like?" An eager girl asked.

"Cute. Blonde. Kind of dorky looking," Tammy said.

Paul froze, suddenly interested in the conversation. Blonde? Dorky? He flashed back to the Sinnoh League where he recalled seeing Dawn hugging a blonde, dorky-looking boy. He also recalled how Drew had seen Dawn with another boy the other day who was also blonde and dorky.

"Does he go to this school?" Kimberlee asked, interest finally present in her voice.

"Nope!" Tammy responded. "Oh! And I saw them _hug!_"

"So?" A girl snorted. "I hug boys all the time. Hugging a boy is no big deal." Paul would have been reassured by these words, but these words were coming from Veilstone's biggest female player, Jane Stanford, who slept with guys nearly every day of the week.

It was silent for a while, and Paul's attention returned to his locker.

"I heard she's cheating on Paul with a mystery guy," One of the girls, possibly Mary Beth, a girl from his English class, commented quietly.

"I heard she's pregnant," another girl whispered.

"I heard she's pregnant with another guy's child," someone else whispered dramatically.

"No way!" someone exclaimed in a hushed whisper.

"Yes way! I heard it with my own ears!"

"From Dawn?"

"Um… well, no… from someone else."

There was another silence.

"I heard her and Paul have sex at Lake Valor," Kimberlee said in a low voice. "I heard they did it near Lake Valor just Thursday night…"

Paul could hear their footsteps echo down the hallway as the gossiping girls exited the school building. Meanwhile Paul stood frozen in front of his locker, Kimberlee's words echoing in his ears.

…

_.x._

_Our relationship is precious to me  
__And I'm sorry  
__You are something alluring  
__Like an emerald ring  
__But we're not flawless  
__We can't be fixed with a kiss  
__I don't want us to fall apart  
__So please don't break my heart  
__I don't wanna be fixed with an emerald ring  
__And I'm sorry, baby, but everything is breaking  
__And I love you…  
__Please don't let us break too…_

* * *

**Wow, this was one long chapter. ^^; Sorry for being later than usual… I was on vacation most of this week and I didn't have any internet access and hardly any time to work on this chapter, so… yeah.**

**Anyway, I hope this chapter wasn't too… not quite sure what the word is… I just hope Dawn's and Paul's date wasn't too… descriptive or anything, if ya know what I mean. xD; I don't plan on making this story Rated M. It just sort of has to do with the storyline… (and no, I don't mean this is gonna be a teen pregnancy-angst story. Please. I'm not gonna be that obvious or cliché. xD; ). Also I was listening to "Love the Way you Lie" by Eminem ft. Rihanna and "Impossible" by Shontelle from Dawn's fight with her mom and down. The songs are very inspiring for this story, haha.**

**So this is the last (or also second-to-last, actually) chapter to guess what's gonna be happening; I added a lot of foreshadowing in this chapter. ( ; Part Two of this story will be coming up soon with big changes. I'll give you a hint though: Think of Dawn's dinner with Paul's uncle and their conversations, Dawn's and her mom's fight and Paul's dream. Also think of Paul's dream from chapter 6. ( :**

**Reviews are highly appreciated and are very inspiring~ (and inspiration means faster updates! Or updates that are not likely to be late, anyway, heheh… ^^; ).**


	10. Faux Diamond

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **She's the diamond: the beautiful jewel of the school. He's the pearl: his school status is built around his fan girls. Together as a couple they are platinum: malleable, ductile, and maybe over time, highly resistant to the heat around them. Ikarishipping!

_**PART ONE**_—**_Diamond and Pearl_**

**Chapter Ten**

"_Dawn, are you okay?" Dawn glanced over her shoulder to see Zoey, her long time, red-haired best friend. _

_She smiled at her, but they both knew it was fake. She responded with her usual "no need to worry", but they both knew it was a lie. They walked together in silence, both deep in thought, one worrying about the other, the other remembering an argument with her mom and the subject that had provoked the argument._

"_Dawn," Zoey stopped her friend, right in front of room G15, the room where the newspapers were written and the yearbook was created. Her red eyes bored worriedly into Dawn's ocean-colored eyes. _

"_What is it Zo?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side._

_It was fifth period. All the eleventh graders were heading off to their elective classes: Dawn to Student Council, Paul to a business class Cyrus had wanted him to take, and Zoey to Journalism._

"_Are you sure you're okay?" Zoey asked. "You've seemed… distracted all day. Did something happen on your date with Paul last night? You did go to Lake Valor with him last night, didn't you?"_

_She bit her lower lip._

"_Well…" Her eyes kept darting around nervously, and her palms were sweating. _

_She didn't like keeping secrets all to herself, having them all bottled up… She also didn't like keeping secrets from Zoey, who was always there for her when she needed her, whether it was to simply talk to or to be a shoulder to cry on. _

_This secret, the fact that she was no longer a virgin, was especially eating her up inside. It made her awkward, dirty, and sinful. Briefly she wondered if every girl felt that way after their first time, especially if they were still in high school._

_She couldn't say she regretted last night, because saying that would be like regretting being in love with Paul, but she was definitely wishing something as special as her first time could have happened when they were married. The guilt, the knowledge, it was like a weight that she couldn't lift, a weight that was too heavy for her to hold, a weight that, in the end, was suffocating her…_

_Zoey frowned worriedly at the blue-haired girl, and she placed a hand on her shoulder._

"_Dawn, we're friends. You can tell me anything; you know that. I promise I won't judge you or anything," she told her softly. Dawn's blue eyes flickered briefly to Zoey's face and then back to the ground. It was as if Zoey already knew!_

"_Paul and I… we did it…" she said slowly, her voice barely above a whisper, her bangs covering her eyes shamefully, red painting her cheeks._

"_Huh?"_

"_We had sex."_

_And a tear slid down her cheek, and Zoey smiled sadly and hugged her friend sympathetically, unbeknownst to both of them a girl skilled in the art of lip-reading in room G15, about to walk out the door, when she just-so-happened to have read Dawn's lips. She was now hidden from view behind a wall._

_A girl with mocha-brown hair…_

_A girl with eggplant purple eyes…_

_A girl with dull, blank eyes with tears spilling from her widened eyes as heartbreak and agony tore at her heart, breaking it in two, for the admirer knew she would always be nothing more than that: an admirer. _

_Because to Paul, she would be nothing more than another lousy admirer, another lousy fan girl, another lousy ex, another lousy girl that had no and never had a chance with him._

_She had been an admirer, a fan girl, an ex…_

_But never The One._

* * *

_Q#30. How did Queen Diamond's death help effect the World War?_

Dawn tapped her chin thoughtfully for a few moments before hesitantly scrawling down an answer. After reading over her answer, she smiled in satisfaction and tucked her question and answer sheet away in the folder Ms. Shirona had given them. The exam seemed easy enough so far, but there was still the second and third part of the exam to be taken, and she had a feeling those parts would be tougher than the first part…

Dawn sighed softly.

And she would have to pass all three parts of the exam just to pass Ms. Shirona's class…

She glanced at the clock that hung on the wall. There was still five minutes left before the bell rang. She sighed again, laying her head on the desk. Suddenly, a finger tapped her arm. Dawn looked up to see Conway who handed her a small note.

Curious, she took it.

'_This is what I call the "Age of Boredom".'_

A smile graced Dawn's lips, and she let out a soft giggle, scribbling a response on the note. She passed it to Conway who smirked and in response, wrote something back. This continued on until the end of class, unaware of a suspicious and jealous plum-haired man watching them.

"I am so surprise Ms. Shirona didn't see us passing notes to each other," Dawn giggled to Conway as the bell rang for class to end.

"I guess Ms. Shirona doesn't have as keen eyesight as she likes to brag," Conway chuckled, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Dawn smiled kindly at him. She was about to say something else, but she stopped as she spotted Paul.

"Dawn," Paul said, stopping in front of her. He narrowed his eyes at Conway and then nodded at him, acknowledging his prescence. Conway simply pursed his lips, and nodded back.

"Hey, Paul…" Dawn mumbled, her eyes glancing at Paul then at Conway and back to Paul.

"We have to go," he told her abruptly, grabbing her hand.

"Huh?" She said, startled.

"Now," he added sternly, pulling her way.

"Oh, uh, bye Conway!" Dawn called over her shoulder, smiling apologetically back at him as Paul pulled her to her next class. Once they were around a corner, Dawn pulled her hand out of Paul's and she glared at him.

Paul turned to her, and raised an eyebrow. "What?" he said, annoyed.

"What was that about?" she demanded. "That was just plain rude, Paul."

"What was?" was his innocence response to the accusation.

Dawn glared at him, her hands placed on her hips. "What you just did!" she nearly shrieked back. "I was talking to Conway, and then you just butted in and pulled me away! What will Conway think now?"

"He'll forget about it by tomorrow," Paul snapped back, turning away. "Now lets go before we're late to class!"

Dawn stared at his back as he walked away, her mouth gaped open in shock. "Ooooh!" She huffed, crossing her arms angrily in front of her chest as she stomped after him.

_What got into him all of a sudden?_

_.x.x.x._

"Conway!"

"Hm?" Conway turned around to see who called his name, adjusting his glasses on his nose. "Dawn?" he queried, amusement present in his voice.

She smiled at him, apologetically. "Hey," she said. "I just wanted to say sorry about the way Paul was acting earlier today. He can be quite… possessive at times."

Conway chuckled. "No need to apologize for that," he said. With amusement clear in his voice he said, "Paul was just making it clear that you were his, and was nobody else's to touch. You can't exactly blame him, with all these rumors flying around about you Dawn…"

The blunette blinked, confused at first, but then scowled as she realized what he was talking about.

"They're not true." she stated, sighing.

"I know," Conway said, smiling. "Well, see you tomorrow, Dawn. Say hi to Paul for me."

Dawn sighed again and turned around, nearly bumping into Paul as she did.

"Paul!" she exclaimed.

"You were talking to Conway, again?" Paul asked, clearly not pleased. A scowl was painted across his face, and he was glaring at something, or somebody, most likely Conway's retreated form.

Dawn's scowl matched his. "Knock it off, Paul," she said. "I was just apologizing to him for the way you were acting to him after History class."

"And that was all?" he said, clearly not believing her.

"Seriously, what is with you?" she said, as they walked down the hallway, heading for the exit now that school was out. "Am I not allowed to talk to any other guys except you now or something?"

"What are you saying?" Paul growled.

"I'm saying, stop being jealous of every guy I talk to!" she yelled back. "What reason do you have to be jealous? It's stupid."

"Well, maybe I wouldn't always be so 'jealous'," Paul spat. "If you weren't always being so flirtatious with every guy you talk to."

"Flirt-what?" she exclaimed. "I wasn't even flirting with Conway!"

Paul narrowed his eyes at her, but said nothing.

Dawn glared at him, her teeth grounding together. She glared into the distance where she could see Tammy, Kimberlee and some other girls huddled together, talking about something. She saw them turned towards her and then back to each other, their chattering increasing. No doubt they were discussing all the rumors going on about her.

Dawn stopped suddenly, her mouth gaped open as she stared at Paul. They had now reached his car.

"You believe the rumors!" she accused, her glare returning. "You believe I'm actually cheating on you, don't you?"

Paul looked up at her, but then turned his attention to unlocking the car door.

"You _do_ believe them!" she hissed.

"Dawn, just get into the car; we'll discuss when we get to my place," he said through grounded teeth, his eyes cold as he glared at her. She was about to protest angrily back, but then she stopped herself, and she huffed indignantly.

Her nostrils flared, but she angrily pulled the car door open, climbed into it and then slammed it shut. She glared out the window the whole time as Paul drove to his house. A cold silence surrounded them both; it was like when a storm was about to break: cold, angry, and overall, silent.

Dawn sighed as Paul parked his car in it's usual place in the driveway. She climbed out of the car, shutting the door gently behind her.

"You don't actually believe those rumors, do you?" she asked as she followed him inside his house. He remained quiet as he walked up the stairs to his room. In return, she scowled at him.

She couldn't believe this!

"You don't trust me." she stated coldly, glaring at his back. Still turned to face her, his cold eyes boring into hers, but he continued to say nothing. Her anger only increased.

"You believe a bunch of useless gossip over me, your _girlfriend?_" she said, grounding the words out from between her clenched teeth. "Paul, I am _not_ pregnant, and I did _not_ cheat on you with _anybody!"_

Dawn became even more infuriated as he continued to say nothing. Finally, she snapped.

"Is this the silent treatment or something?" she screeched, her hands now fists by her sides. "Why don't you believe me? Am I suppose to confess to something I didn't do? Am I suppose to say I cheated on you or something when I _haven't?_"

"You don't have to say anything," Paul responded coolly back.

She glared at him. "Then why am I wasting my breath talking?" she asked coldly back. He shrugged. She closed her eyes, and inhaled slowly, trying to control her sudden urge to scream until Paul's ears bled.

"I – did – not – cheat – on – you," she said again, saying each word slowly, trying to emphasize the meaning of her sentence.

"Then why are you always with that blonde kid?" he asked.

Dawn blinked, shocked. "Blonde kid?" she sputtered, images of boys she knew who had blonde hair in her mind.

"Yes, the blonde kid I saw you hugging at the Sinnoh League," Paul said, and Dawn could tell by the ways his nostrils were slightly flaring and the way he had his eyes closed now, that he was angry. "And the blonde kid, Drew saw you with at the Mall the other day, and the blonde kid Tammy saw you hugging at your house."

Dawn blinked again, a frown now painted across her face, and her eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. Then it clicked inside her head.

"Oh! You mean Barry?"

"Sure," Paul said, a bit sarcastically. "If that's his name."

"I'm not cheating on you with Barry, Paul, I swear!" she told him, reaching out to touch his arm. He pulled back.

"Then why are you always with him?" he shot back. "You haven't exactly given me a reason to believe you."

Suddenly guilt weighed over on her.

It was true. She hasn't. With all her sneaking around and such, it would look fishy in a lot of people's eyes, Paul's included. And she knew she should tell the truth, she knew she would have to eventually, but…

If she told Paul Barry was always with her because they were going to become step-siblings, she would have to tell him that her mom was marrying his dad, and she would also have to mention she was going to be moving back to Twinleaf, and…

And she was still hoping her mom would change her mind.

Not about Palmer, not about their planned marriage, just about moving. She still didn't want to move. She didn't want to start all over again. She had already done that when she moved to Veilstone, and it had been hard. She didn't want to leave her friends or Paul behind. They were all so irreplaceable, and she didn't want to lose them with time, like she did with Leona and her other friends in Twinleaf…

"I'm sorry, Paul," she whispered. "I know everything may seem fishy at the moment, with everybody catching me some 'dorky blonde kid', but I promise I'm not cheating on you. I never would." She reached forward again, and this time Paul did not pull back at her touch. "I'll explain it to you someday, just… not today. Not right now."

She ran her hand from his elbow down to his wrist before intertwining her fingers with his, slowly turning her head upwards so her eyes met his. His emotions safely guarded in his eyes, but Dawn knew by the way Paul's free hand trailed up her arm to cup her face that he now believed her.

"Why can't you explain it to me now?" he murmured.

She sighed softly. "It's kind of complicated," she replied.

"I'm sure I'll be able to keep up," he responded.

Her eyes flicked downwards briefly and then back up to his. "I'm sorry," she said, offering a small, apologetic smile. "I just don't feel like talking about it right now. I promise I'll tell everything eventually, just not now."

He was silent for a moment, but then he nodded. "I understand," he said. Dawn smiled gratefully, and then she stood on her toes and pressed her lips softly against his, her hand gently cupped around his neck.

Paul pulled away from the kiss briefly to whisper into her ears, "Cyrus is on another business trip, and Reggie is out on a date. He won't be home until late." She silenced him with another kiss; Paul wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer.

_Falling… _

It was like a fire had been sparked.

His kisses were sweet, loving, and tender, like chocolate, but at the same time they were hungry, wild, and passionate. His hand cupped her chin as he tilted it upwards in order to deepen the kiss, his lips so soft against hers, and his taste so irresistible, so addicting.

It was a fire she had sparked, a fire she hadn't meant to lit again so soon.

_Falling deeper…_

His hand was so soft, cupped against her cheek, that she laid her hand on his as he tenderly kissed her. It was as if his kisses were his apologies, for accusing her for what she didn't do. So loving, so sweet. It was a kiss like this that makes a person wish time would just freeze, that way the kiss could never end.

So sweet. So loving. So beautiful. So full of emotion.

Or maybe that's just how she saw it in her mind.

Did Paul even love her? She didn't even know.

_And deeper…_

Dawn felt her side bump his bed, and before she knew it, Paul was looming over her on top of it. She wanted to tell him to stop, but underneath him, his scent drowning her like an ocean wave, she felt breathless, powerless. And at the same time…she didn't want to stop.

She wanted him to continue kissing her; she didn't want him to stop holding her. She was going to be moving in two weeks, and she wanted to spend whatever time she had left here in Veilstone with him.

Only him.

_How long would it take before she's in too deep?_

Paul doesn't even know I'm moving… I'm just keeping him in the dark, sneaking around with Barry, and allowing gossip to influence the way he thinks about me… What am I so afraid of? I'm just moving, I've moved once, and he had moved thousands of times. No big deal.

_Then what am I afraid of? _Dawn asked herself again. _That he won't want a long-distance relationship? That he will break up with me because of it? He'll cheat on me with someone else while I'm gone? Am I afraid he'll decide he likes someone cooler, better, stronger? Someone he actually loves?_

But Dawn knew it didn't matter what she was afraid of because her mom had made her choice. They were moving, and that was final. And she couldn't call Paul one day and tell him, "Oh, hey, Paul! I just moved to Twinleaf!"

_She was falling too deep…_

Paul's lips left hers for a few moments to catch a fresh breath of air, and she did the same, but breathed in his scent instead, his intoxicating scent clouding her mind. She felt tired now though, as if everything, her guilt, her secrecy, was weighing down on her. When Paul's burning lips met hers once more she couldn't find the strength to kiss back. Small tears stung her eyes.

Paul kissed her harder, his fingers running through her blue locks that laid fanned out on his bed sheets. Still, she didn't, _couldn't_, respond. It felt as if the adrenaline that had ran in her veins only moments before had suddenly froze over. She felt almost numb by everything she was suddenly feeling.

"Paul, wait…" She whispered, barely a breath.

He didn't hear her.

She lifted her hand, slowly, and cupped his cheek.

"Wait, Paul, I…" She said a little bit louder. The hand on his cheek traveled down to his shoulder to gently push him away. Hearing her this time, Paul broke his lips from hers. His onyx-colored eyes bored into hers.

"What is it?" He asked.

She couldn't tell if he was worried or annoyed.

"I have to say something first," she told him quietly, her eyes staring past his shoulders rather than his face. It would just be harder to tell him what she needed to when she was staring into his beautiful eyes.

"What is it?"

Now he did sound concern.

She didn't say anything yet, still trying to collect her thoughts, still trying to gather up the courage to tell him that she was going to be moving. Paul must have taken her silence as reluctance or hesitance though because he cupped her chin in his hand, and turned her head so she was forced to stare into his eyes.

"You can tell me whatever it is you need to tell me," he told her. As if to prove his point, he leaned down to kiss her lips before breaking it once more to stare into her eyes.

"I know," she said. "It's just…"

His hand no longer cupped her chin, but she found herself unable to look away from those mesmerizing eyes that were that deep shade of gray. Or maybe they really were black like an onyx. Staring into them, she felt hypnotized.

"It's just…"

His hand slid down her arm to hold her hand. It was unintentional, but Dawn felt breathless at the touch. Her words were lost on the tip of her tongue. Her heart felt strangled with angst.

Did she really have to leave Paul? She didn't want to. She was just hoping that one day she would wake up, and she would find out it had just been a horrible, horrible nightmare all along.

Her eyes closed again, and underneath her eyelids, she could feel the warm tears coming.

"Dawn?" She snapped her eyes open and quickly blinked away her tears before turning to Paul again. He frowned at her. "What were you going to say?"

"H-huh?" she sputtered.

He raised an eyebrow. "What did you need to tell me?" he asked again.

Dawn blushed, embarrassed. She looked away, sighing. Why was it so hard to tell Paul that she was moving? Honestly, it was no – big – deal!

_I'll tell him Friday, _she decided. _I'll go over what I'm going to say to him. I'll tell him to come to my house and then I'll tell him that I'm moving. _She promised herself. _Friday._

"Dawn?" Paul asked again.

Her head snapped up at the sound of his voice and her face went red. "O-oh! U-uh, I was going to ask…" Her head swam for something to say. "Do you have a condom?"

Her face went even redder than before and she mentally smacked herself.

_Really?_

Paul blinked at her, just as shocked. "I'm sure my brother has some hiding in a few of his drawers," he sighed, getting up to go find one.

Dawn fell backwards onto Paul's bed and she groaned quietly to herself. Her eyes squeezed shut as her hands covered her face in exasperation. She felt like crying. She felt like screaming. She wanted to bang her head against something hard.

_She was paving her own road to heartbreak._

* * *

"_Yep! And the coolest thing about this new pokétch is that you can play all kinds of games on it like poké zapper, where you battle and defeat a bunch of aliens!" Barry declared smugly. "And when I got this it also came with ten free and totally new apps! Like there's this one app that reminds you of any activities or events coming up soon! All you have to do is set what day or time_—"

"_Hey, where did Drew go?" Dawn interrupted, looking around._

"_Drew? Who's Drew?" Barry asked, clueless, turning his head from side to side to look for this 'Drew' person._

_She just shook her head. "Never mind."_

"_So, did you tell your friends the news?" Barry asked, grinning childishly. _

"_No, I don't want them to know," Dawn responded, scowling. "I'm trying to keep it a secret."_

"_Whaaa? Why would you wanna keep it a secret?" Barry exclaimed. He crossed his arms, looking away pointedly. "You know, sometimes I get the feeling you're ashamed of me Dawn. You're ashamed of me, aren't ya? You don't want people to know I'm your_—"

"_I can't believe it!" A familiar voice exclaimed from behind Dawn. The blunette whipped around, her blue eyes widening at the sight of May._

"_M-May!" Dawn stuttered._

"_You're cheating on Paul, aren't you?" she exclaimed, earning the stares of many onlookers. Her sapphire-colored eyes were wide in shock and disbelief. How much of their conversation did she overhear?_

"_No, May, wait! You've got it all wrong!"_

"_Do I, now?" May said, unconvinced. Her arms laid folded in front of her chest, her eyes narrowed at the blunette. "Then what are you doing with _him?_" She asked, pointing a finger at Barry who she glared at._

_Barry stared at her, dumbfounded._

"_Whaaa? What did I do?" He exclaimed loudly. "Really, I'm just her_—"

"_Barry!" Dawn hissed, jabbing her elbow in the boy's guts._

_May turned her glare to Dawn. _

"_I thought you were better than this, Dawn; I thought I knew you, but I guess I don't know you as well as I thought." May paused for a second before shaking her head in disgust and walking away. "In fact, I don't think I know you at all anymore, Dawn."_

"_May!" Dawn called after her. "You don't understand!" When May didn't turn back, she balled her fists together and then shouted angrily, "I thought you were my friend, May! Friends are suppose to _trust_ each other!"_

* * *

"Misty," The carrot top looked up, surprised to see Dawn. The blunette sat down in front of her at the lunch table. The ginger-haired girl looked from side to side, and was even more surprised when there was no sight of Paul around.

"Paul isn't around?" Misty said, turning towards the blunette. "That's a first."

"What is also a first, is Dawn sitting with us for the first time ever since she started dating Paul," Leaf chimed in cheerfully, taking a seat next to the blunette.

Dawn didn't miss the way May glared at her before turning her glare to her salad which she stabbed at with a fork. She frowned guiltily at the brunette, and promised herself she would explain to May soon that Barry was just her stepbrother-to-be, not another boyfriend of hers.

"Um, sorry about that," she said, turning to Leaf, and smiled guiltily. She turned her attention back to Misty. "Anyway, I wanted to say sorry Misty."

"Sorry?" Her eyebrows shot up. "Why?"

"I'm not going to be able to go to summer camp you this year," she explained. "Something came up, and—"

"What?" Misty said, abruptly standing up and clenching at her heart as if she was having a heart attack. "What do you mean you can't go? I'm going to be stuck babysitting a bunch of annoying brats, a-a-and—"

"Misty, calm down!" Dawn exclaimed, shocked.

"Wait – if you can't make it to summer camp with Misty, will you at least be able to go to Pallet Town with me to see my summer home?" Leaf question, her brown eyes wide.

Another flash of guilt went through Dawn. She had forgotten about going to Pallet Town to see her summer home.

"I'm sorry, Leaf, but—"

"Is this because of Paul?" Misty interrupted, clutching onto her arm. Dawn flinched at the sadness and betrayal presented in the carrot top's eyes.

She was about to respond 'no' when May suddenly exclaimed, "WAIT! Does that mean I'm going to be stuck with Max at the beach? Daaawn! You can't do this to me!"

Dawn turned to the brunette. "I thought you were mad at me?" she said, feeling a tad bit annoyed.

"So you are ditching me for Paul?"

"May, no, I'm—"

"Wait, why was May mad at you?" Leaf queried, turning first to Dawn and then May.

"Because she has another boyfriend," she responded.

"May, that guy was not my—"

"Wait!" Dawn hissed in frustration. Why won't any of her friends let her finish her sentence? "So is Dawn ditching us for Paul or that other guy?" Misty asked.

"I'm not ditching anybody!" Dawn yelled. "I'm just—"

"What's with all the screaming?" Zoey exclaimed from the other end of the table where her and Marina sat.

"What makes you think Dawn was cheating on Paul?" Marina questioned May, a frown on her face. Dawn groaned at the question and she face-palmed herself.

"Because I saw her with this loud blonde-haired guy and I overheard them talking," May started. "And I heard the guy asking if she told us about him yet, and she responded she didn't want us to know. And then he started saying that she was ashamed of him because he was her boyfriend!"

"He didn't say boyfriend," Dawn interjected, scowling. "You interrupted him before he could even finish what he was saying!"

"Well, he was still going to say boyfriend!" May snapped.

"You never even liked Paul!" Dawn shouted back. "Why would you care if I just-so-happened to be cheating on Paul – which by the way, _I am not doing!_"

"Why would I care?" May hissed. "Because Drew cheated on me, and I know what it feels like to be cheated on, so of course I would care, even if it is Paul who is being cheated on! Ugh! As if seeing you cheat on Paul wasn't bad enough, but then I had to run into _Drew!_"

"I am not cheating on—wait! You ran into Drew Saturday?" she asked. She dimly recalled seeing Drew at the mall that day with a gift in his hand. "What did he do?"

May raised a suspicious eyebrow at her. "I don't remember!" she responded. "I just know I got mad at him and I ran off! He was trying to win me back, the conceited, arrogant jerk!"

"You should take him back," Dawn told her. "May, he's been trying so hard to win you back! He really does miss you, and I truly think he's sorry for everything he did to you in the past."

"How would you know if he's truly sorry?" she shot back, a hint of uncertainty now present on her face.

"He came to me for advice on how to win you back," she responded. "Would someone as prideful as Drew come to anybody for advice on anything?" Dawn asked.

May blinked, shocked upon hearing this news. "He… came to you… for advice?" she whispered. Then suddenly, "Wait, did you give him advice? After everything he did to me, Dawn?" she demanded angrily.

The blunette blinked, surprised by the brunette's sudden rage. "Well, y-yeah!"

"I can't believe you!" she hissed, standing up angrily before stomping away. Dawn stared helplessly at her, her face pulled down in a frown.

"May, wait!"

_Ring! Ring! Ring!_

The bell for lunch to end rang, and Dawn was left staring at May's retreating figure, a frown painted across her face. Her friends shuffled passed her, tsking at her as they walked by. Zoey laid a hand on her shoulder, and she sighed.

"Let's go," Zoey said quietly as they walked to their elective class.

* * *

_She was only five at the time._

_It was snowing, she remembered. _

_It was cold outside, but it was warm inside the small wooden house that was warmed by a lit fireplace. She was cuddled up by the fireplace, warming up after playing out in the snow, watching as small frozen crystals fell from the sky._

_It happened at dinner time, she remembered._

_The smell of honey-roasted ham was still in the air when the phone rang. The dreadful, heartbreaking phone call that had the young, naïve Dawn frowning in her room, confused, and feeling strangely like an empty shell. She didn't know why though. She didn't understand. Deep down though, she had understood the words her mother spoke to her, which may had been why she had hugged her mommy after hearing the dreadful news._

_Her mom kept speaking in short sentences, she remembered. She spoke in short sentences which only took a few seconds while the silence stretched on for what felt like forever. It left Dawn clueless about the subject._

_And in Dawn's mind, she heard her mother again, talking to whoever was on the other end of the phone._

_Her mom was silent for a long time. She remembered watching her mother for a while, wondering what the person on the other line was saying. She remembered wondering why her mom's lips kept pursing together and why her mom kept making choking sounds deep within her throat. Are those tears in her eyes?, she had wondered, tilting her head to the side, frowning._

"…_I see…"_

_There was another silence, and Dawn had gotten up to stand by her mother's side, her hand clutching her mother's apron as she stared curiously up at her mother._

"_H-how did it happen?"_

_Another long silence, and Dawn had begun to feel as if something wasn't right._

_Why did mommy look upset? Why were there tears in her eyes? How come mommy wouldn't look at her?_

"_Mommy?" she had whispered._

_Her mother placed two fingers on her mouth, silencing her._

"_I see…"_

_Another silence, shorter this time._

"_I'll go tell her right now…" Mommy had whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek._

_There was a _beep! _as her mom hung up the phone._

"_Mommy, what is it?" she asked, her voice small and worried. _

_Heaving a tired sigh, Johanna turned to face her, her face sad, and her eyes wet. Even so, she forced a smile as she faced her daughter, a heartbroken smile that left Dawn scared and even more worried._

"_Dawn, sweetie, I… I don't know how to tell you this, but…" She hesitated and then gestured for Dawn to follow her. She did. _

_Her mom had sat on the worn out blue couch, Dawn remembered, and she had climbed on top of her mom's lap, staring up at her mom with wide, curious eyes. Her head was tilted to the side, allowing her blue tresses to cascade down one shoulder._

"_What's wrong, Mommy?" she asked in that same tiny voice._

_Her mom had closed her eyes, breathing in shakily through her nose, her words trembling on her tongue as she reopened her eyes to look her daughter in the eyes._

"_Sweetie… Daddy, he… he…"_

"_What about Daddy, Mommy?" she questioned. "Is Daddy alright?"_

_Her mom's eyes closed again, and she exhaled and inhaled, her breathing slow. _

"_Daddy… he's on a very long journey, Dawn, and… and I'm afraid he's not coming back, honey," her mom whispered, tears escaping between her closed lids. Her shoulders had started trembling and she had reached forward to stroke Dawn's locks._

_Dawn had frowned before a small smile had crossed her lips._

"_But Mommy, Daddy always comes back after a journey," she had responded, her naïve words causing more tears to escape her mom's eyes. "He promised he always would. He will come back, Mommy, he will."_

"_Not this time, honey…" she whispered. "Not this time."_

_Dawn still didn't understand. She frowned at her mom, but she hugged her mom anyway, and this time she was the mother while her mom was the child. _

"_It's okay, Mommy," Dawn had whispered to her mother, wiping away her tears. "Please don't cry. It's alright! No need to worry, right?"_

_That night she sat in her room, thoughtful. She still didn't understand why her mom was upset, and she still couldn't understand why her mom had said Daddy was never coming home. He always came home, always._

_The next night she asked her mom when she thought Daddy would be home. Her mom had stared at her daughter for the longest time with the saddest blue eyes, shaking her head slowly at her daughter before sighing. She then spoke the most heartbreaking words._

"_Dawn, there's something you need to understand. Daddy is never coming home again," she told her gently, sadly. "He's gone. He's in Heaven now."_

"_But I'll get to see him still, right?" she asked. _

"_I'm sorry, Dawn, but no…" She was about to open her mouth, to ask what she meant, but her mother continued, "You're never going to see him again, you're never going to hear his voice again, you're never going to get the chance to hug him again, talk to him again, or anything. Please, understand that, Dawn. He's gone forever. The next time you see him will be in Heaven."_

_The words had been too much for her fragile five-year old soul and tears had been brought to her eyes as she pleaded for her mom to stop telling such vicious lies. Deep down, she knew they weren't lies though. Deep down, she fully understood the situation. Deep down, she knew she was never going to see her father alive ever again…_

_And so, that second night she was left feeling like an abandoned shell, praying that her mother was wrong and that Daddy was still alive, silent tears trickling down her pale, round cheeks._

* * *

Dawn led Paul into her house, and closed the door behind them.

"Where's your mom?" he questioned. He glanced around the house, and quirked an eyebrow. Was it just him or did her house look… bare? Barer than he remembers, at least. He swore there use to be pictures hanging on the wall along with a clock.

"Out with her fiancé," she responded.

"Fiancé?" he repeated quietly. He turned to Dawn. "She's getting married?"

She nodded. "Yeah, this Septemeber, I think," she said. "Which I need to talk to you about…"

"Mmm…" Paul hummed. "So what were you and May fighting about at lunch?" he asked casually. "She looked pretty mad, and you seemed pretty down."

Dawn sighed as she recalled lunch.

"She's mad at me because I've been giving Drew advice on how to win her back," she answered. "She's also mad at me because I had to cancel our trip to the beach, and now she's going to have to take her brother, Max."

"She's mad at you just for that?" Paul said, snorting.

_That, and because she thinks I'm canceling so I can spend more time with you, _she added in her mind, but didn't dare say out loud.

"I had to cancel on Leaf and Misty too," she revealed. "Like Leaf was going to take me to her summer home in Kanto, and usually I go with Misty to this summer camp where we counsel and stuff, but I can't this year."

"Mmmm." Paul mumbled, pulling her close to him and stroking her hair.

"I think everyone is mad at me except Zoey and Marina," she told him, sighing softly into his shoulders.

"Just because you canceled on them? That's stupid," Paul mumbled. "Everybody has to cancel something sometime or another because something comes up." He paused thoughtfully. "Why _are_ you canceling?"

Dawn smiled.

This was it.

She was glad she had decided to wait until Friday to tell Paul about her moving. She had time yesterday to think over everything she would say to Paul, and she no longer felt worried about his reaction when she told him.

"I'll tell you in my room," she told him, slipping her hand into his and leading him up the stairs and into her bedroom.

Paul took a seat on the edge of her bed. Dawn took a seat next to his and laid a hand over his.

"Okay, so you know how my mom is getting married soon?" Dawn asked.

"Just found out recently," he responded. "But yeah."

"Okay, so my mom's fiancé, he lives in a different town. He doesn't live in Veilstone," she continued. She paused, and studied Paul's face. He nodded.

"Go on." He said.

"Okay, well, the reason why I had to cancel with everyone this summer is because I'm m—"

_Rrrrrrrrriiiiiiiinngg!_

"Really, now?" she yelled at the ceiling, earning a sweat drop from Paul. Rambling angrily to herself, she stomped over to her window and pulled back the window to see who was at the door.

_Barry? _

"What is he doing here?" she muttered loudly, a scowl crossing her face. Closing the curtain, she marched down the stairs before climbing back up them and shouting to Paul, "I'll be back!" She marched back down the stairs to angrily confront Barry.

"What are you doing here? You're not suppose to be here right now!" Paul could hear Dawn shout from downstairs. A smirk glided across Paul's face and he chuckled. "You're ruining things!"

"What do you mean I'm ruining things?" A boy's high-pitched voice responded back. Paul turned to the door and an eyebrow rose. "What, do you have a secret to hide Dawn?"

"What are you doing here?" Dawn asked again, anger starting to grow evident in her voice.

"I always stop by on Fridays," the boy responded. "Of course, you're never home… Why are you home right now?"

"Go. Away," Dawn growled.

Paul stood up and walked over to the window where Dawn had gone to see who was at the door. He pulled the curtain back and peered outside. Paul felt his insides twist with anger.

"Is that how you treat all your boyfriends?" The dorky blonde boy's voice drifted through the window.

"I'm busy, now go away!"

"Too busy for me?"

_Slam!_

"Hey, it's rude to slam doors in people's faces!" The blonde boy shouted, rapping roughly on the door. "If you don't open this back up in three seconds I'm going to fine you! One –

two – three! Fine then! If you're going be that way, you can expect a fine in your mailbox in a few days!"

"Mail the bill to your dad!" Dawn shouted back, laughing.

"I don't think so! The fine is going to be in _your_ name, Dawn Berlitz!" Barry shouted back, waving his fist before walking off. "I swear, I wouldn't even have to put up with this if my dad wasn't…" His voice trailed off.

Paul turned away from the window, his mind and numb with anger and betrayal.

Dawn entered the room. She smiled at him apologetically.

"Sorry about that," she apologized. "That was my soon-to-be st—"

"I have to go," Paul interrupted.

Dawn blinked, shocked. "What? But I still haven't told you why I had to cancel on May and Misty and Leaf!" she exclaimed. "Paul, it's important."

"My brother called," he lied. "He wants me home. Now." He walked pass her, his hands in his pockets.

"But…" she called weakly back.

"I'll see you Monday," he responded.

_.x.x.x._

"_I'll see you Monday."_

The words echoed in her mind.

He said he would see her Monday, but he wasn't here. Which was weird. He was never absent. He hasn't been absent once since his arrival at Veilstone. She only knew that because she also hasn't missed a single day of school.

She called when she got home from school.

"Paul?" she asked when his phone was picked up.

"_Yeah?"_ he responded.

She frowned. "I was worried about you. You weren't here today at school. Are you alright…?"

"_I'm fine," _he responded. _"Just sick."_

He didn't sound sick. But then again, they were talking over the cell phone.

"Oh. Well, I hope you get better soon," she said. "Prom is Thursday, you know…"

"_I know." _

…

"Well, um, I'll see you tomorrow I guess if you feel better?" she said hopefully, her lips still pulled down in a frown.

"_Maybe."_

"Bye." she said. "I love you."

He grunted and then hung up.

Dawn sighed.

He didn't show up Tuesday.

He had missed the class election where they elected a prom queen and king for prom. Even though he wasn't there that day, he still got elected along with her.

Dawn bit her thumbnail and sighed, trying her best to restrain herself from calling Paul again. She figured if he was sick yesterday then that meant he was probably still sick today. And so, she resisted the nagging urge to call him again and ask why he wasn't at school.

Another day came and another day he was gone.

It was Wednesday now, and the next day would be Thursday, the second to last day of school, and the day of the Junior Prom. The Junior Prom this year would be held at the Game Corner in Veilstone which wasn't too far from Dawn's house. Only a mile or two away.

Sighing, she placed her phone down and walked over to her closet and opened it. Still wrapped in plastic in the front of the closet was her prom dress which she had spent so much money on. It was the only thing in her closet now besides the outfit she was going to where tomorrow. Everything else she had packed away in boxes in the free time she now had since Paul has been absent all week so far.

Dawn glanced around her room.

She had packed pretty everything except the portraits and posters on her wall and the sheets on her bed.

_I'll pack them Friday, _she decided, flopping face-down on her bed.

_What if Paul is still sick tomorrow? _Dawn wondered. _And he can't make it to Prom? Will I have to go by myself?_

Unable to resist the urge anymore, she called Paul. He picked up only a few seconds later.

"_Yeah?" _

"Hey," she greeted. She swapped her phone to the other ear. "Um, are you still sick?"

There was a brief silence, and then _"yeah"_.

"Are you feeling any better?" she queried, biting her lower lip hopefully, waiting for his response.

"_No," _he responded. _"I don't think I'm going to be here tomorrow."_

Her face dropped in disappointment.

"Oh."

Silence.

"Well, I hope you feel better soon!" she told him, trying her best to sound optimistic. She may have ended up sounding too optimistic.

"_Thanks," _he grunted. _"I have to go now. Bye."_

Before she could say goodbye back, he hung up. She dropped the cell phone and buried her face in a pillow, a gray cloud hanging over her head for the rest of the day.

She was spending about eighty bucks to get her hair done. She had spent a few hundred dollars buying the prettiest gown for prom. She was no doubt going to spend an hour or two in front of the mirror, perfecting her makeup. She was spending so much money and going through so much trouble just to look beautiful. For Paul. And he wasn't even going be there to see her.

Like Paul guessed, he wasn't here Thursday.

Even so, she went to the beauty salon and got her hair done. Her hair was done so her hair was coiled tightly on the back on her head in a graceful bun. Her bangs had been pushed to the side and clipped back with bobby pins. Graceful ringlets framed her face perfectly.

And even though Paul wouldn't be there to see her makeup, she still took as much time and effort she would have took if Paul was still coming. She carefully lined her eyes with eyeliner and brushed a glittery rose pink eye shadow on her eyelids. She brushed a white powder over her face and then brushed her cheekbones until they were as pink as salmon. After all that was done she searched through her packed boxes for a long-lasting lipstick that was the darkest pink she could find.

And after her hair was done and her makeup was perfected, she climbed into her dress. The prom had already started by the time she finished her makeup.

The dress she wore was as white as newly fallen snow in the winter. The dress was perfectly fitted around her bosom and waist area and then flared when it met her hips where there was a white waistband with a bow in the back. White sleeves fell off her shoulders to further show off her collarbone and the diamond-D necklace she always wore. Small pale pink pearls were hidden beneath folds under her dress, barely visible, while diamonds were shined clearly on the upper-half of the dress.

Dawn sighed, almost depressingly, as she stared at herself in the mirror.

So much money spent, so much effort put into the makeup, and the person she wanted to impress most wasn't even going to be at her very first prom.

_Maybe I'll just blow the prom off, _Dawn thought to herself. _And I'll visit Paul instead. I'll see how his cold is doing. Yeah, I'll do that instead. _She smiled at herself in the mirror. Starting to feel happy for the first time in days.

She heard the doorbell ring downstairs, and a few seconds later she could hear Palmer's voice and then Barry's. Dawn quickly descended the staircase, and everybody watched her as she did so, staring at her as if she was some beautiful goddess descending the staircase rather than some average teenage girl about to go prom.

"Whoa, Dawn." Palmer said. He looked at Johanna and then said, "Are you sure that's your daughter?" Barry just gawked at her in surprise.

"What happened to you, Dawn?" He exclaimed, amber eyes wide in shock. "You look like you were attack by some makeup monster or something. Not that that's a thing. You look great!"

Dawn giggled.

"Thanks Barry," she winked. "But sorry, I'm already taken."

"So are you going to prom or something?" Barry queried, leaning against a wall. "Or are you the bride at some wedding? Not that I'm one to judge, but if you are getting married, you are waaay too young!"

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Yes, I'm going to prom, Barry." _Or _was_, _she corrected in her mind.

"Dawn's boyfriend is sick, so he can't take her," Johanna sighed. "She's been down about it all week, worrying about whether he would be better in time to take her to prom."

"Don't you have any other boy to take you to prom?" Palmer asked, raising an eyebrow at her as he crossed his arm.

Dawn opened her mouth to reply, but Barry chimed in cheerfully, "Hey, if you need someone to take you to prom, I can take you Dawn!"

"I don't need—"

Just then the doorbell rang.

"I wonder who that could be," Johanna wondered.

"I'll get it!" Barry exclaimed, but Dawn held him back.

"_I_'ll get it," she said, glaring at Barry. "After all, I'm the one who lives here." Barry made a face at her, which she ignored, and hurried to answer the door in her white prom dress. Her jaw dropped when she saw who was standing outside her door in a white dress shirt and black pants.

"Paul!" she exclaimed cheerfully, a smile spreading across her face.

"Whose that?" Barry exclaimed from the kitchen.

_.x.x.x._

Paul stared at the blue-haired girl in front of him, amazed by her beauty. He was breathless staring at her, and he swore his head had stopped beating. She looked even more beautiful when that famous smile of hers slid across her face, lighting up her face.

"Whose that?" Paul distantly heard someone shout from the kitchen.

"You're here," she whispered, tears in her eyes as she hugged him. When she pulled away, she looked into his eyes, that smile still on her face. "I thought you were sick?"

Paul blinked, slowly exiting his mesmerized state. Her last words rang in his ears.

Oh yeah.

He was suppose to be "sick". Of course, that was just a lie he had made up just so he didn't have to see her all week.

"I feel better now," he replied calmly back.

"I am so glad you are here!" she said, hugging him again. "I was just thinking about visiting you!" Paul raised an eyebrow.

_In a prom dress? I don't think so._

Of course, he didn't speak those words out loud.

"Huh. I guess Dawn doesn't need a ride to Prom, after all," Paul heard a boy say quietly from the kitchen. Paul felt something in his chest tighten at these words and he felt his anger begin to grow rapidly.

_Someone else was going to take Dawn to prom?_ Paul thought to himself. _Probably that_ other _loser boyfriend she has._ Paul closed his eyes and forced down his anger, taking slow, cool, calming breaths.

_Well, it doesn't matter. I've already made my decision._

"Paul, there's someone I want you to mee—"

"We have to get to Prom," Paul interrupted her. "Prom has already started, and it's probably already crowded. C'mon, lets go." He took her hand and began to lead her towards his car.

Her face deflated as he did so, but she just sighed, and allowed him to lead the way.

_.x.x.x._

Everybody was staring at them when they walked, or better yet, they were all staring at her. The girls were glaring at her in jealousy, feeling self-conscious as she walked by, and the boys were staring at her with inappropriate thoughts passing through their minds.

"Dude, no wonder why she has two boyfriends," A boy whispered when her and Paul walked by. "She is smoking hot!"

Dawn turned around, about to confront the guy and politely correct him on how she in fact, only had one boyfriend, and how they were sadly misinformed by a bunch of gossiping low-lives with nothing better to do with their day. But before she had the chance to do so, Paul pulled her back, and so she followed him to the punch table.

"Stupid people," she muttered under her breath.

Dawn glanced around, and smiled when she spotted her friends not too far away.

"I'm going to back," she told Paul, making her way towards her friends.

"Hey, guys!" she greeted them, grinning. They all looked at her, but they said nothing. Her grin began to waver until it slowly dropped into a confused frown. "What?" she asked.

"Paul is back," Misty pointed out.

"Shouldn't you be with him?" May said bitingly, glaring at her. "After all, you have no problem ditching us for him every other time. Or did you just come here to tell me how I should take that dickface Drew back?"

"C'mon, May, you can't still be mad at me!" she whined, her shoulders slumping. "I said I'm sorry!"

"And I'm saying you're not forgiven!" May snapped.

"Ugh! Why are you being this way, May?" Dawn asked, now glaring at her friend with her arms folded tightly across her chest. "I didn't do anything to you!"

"Except go behind my back and try to hook me back up with my lying, cheating, deceiving ex-boyfriend!" the brunette nearly screamed, rage filling her eyes. "You knew how hurt I was by Drew when I learned he was cheating on me! You knew, and you still went behind my back and tried to set me up with him!"

"Drew changed though!" she protested. "May, I truly think he changed!"

"No, Drew hasn't changed!" May yelled. "Drew is the same arrogant, conceited bastard he was when I first started going out with him! He hasn't changed a bit! I hate him, Dawn! I hate him!"

Dawn stared at her best friend despairingly. "May, what happened to you? You've changed," she said.

"May isn't the one who changed," Misty butted in. The blunette turned to face the carrot top who had her hands on her hips. Confusion played on Dawn's features.

"You're the one who have changed," Leaf continued accusingly, her usually sweet face pulled down in an unhappy frown. "You don't even sit with us at lunch anymore Dawn. You only sit with us when you're mad at Paul, or when he's absent. You hardly even speak to us anymore. You don't answer our calls or our texts or anything. We use to be BFFs Dawn, we use to do everything together, and now…"

"We were like the six musketeers," Misty exclaimed. "We were like the seven dwarfs minus one! I was Grumpy and you were Happy! Now… now… it's like we might as well be strangers."

"That's not true," Dawn said. "We're not strangers… guys…" She turned to Marina and Zoey. "Guys?"

Zoey coughed quietly and looked away.

"I'm sorry Dawn, but you do seem really different," Marina commented quietly. "And with all the rumors flying around… it's just hard to know who you really are now."

"We just don't know you as well as we use to," Zoey added quietly. "And we've discussed some things Dawn, and…"

Dawn's heart froze.

"We just can't be friends with you anymore, Dawn," Misty whispered, tears in her ears. The strong red-head bravely blinked them back though and met Dawn's eyes. "Not when you can't even answer our calls, or reply back to our texts. Not when you're always canceling plans on us because you made other plans with Paul. It's not how friends treat each other, Dawn, and we're glad you found somebody you really like, but if we're gonna be nothing but a… a…"

"Someone you fall back on when things don't go well with you and Paul, or when he isn't here, then we're done as friends." Leaf concluded quietly. The brunette had tears running down her face. Dawn felt a tear trickle down her own cheek at her friends' words.

"Guys… you can't be serious…" she whispered.

"W-we're one-hundred percent serious," May snapped back. Dawn turned towards the brunette who also had tears in her eyes despite her best attempts to hide them with a ferocious glare.

"Not like you need friends anyway," Misty muttered bitterly. "You have everything a person could possible ever dream of: looks, money, brains… You're gonna end up being the Prom Queen anyway, so what does it matter."

The five girls turned away, disappearing into the bright lights and dancing figures.

"G-guys…" she whispered, more tears trickling down her cheek.

"_I need another story  
__Something to get off my chest  
__My life gets kinda boring  
__Need something that I can confess_

"_Til all my sleeves are stained red  
__From all the truth that I've said  
__Come by it honestly, I swear  
__Thought you saw me wink, no  
__I've been on the brink, so_

"_Tell me what you want to hear  
__Something that were like all those years  
__I'm sick of the insincere  
__So I'm gonna give all my secrets away"_

Rumors. Stories. They began to circulate throughout the room.

"Dawn, why aren't you and May friends anymore?" A random girl questioned as she passed by. She ignored the girl, and walked silently passed her, wiping away the tears that fogged her vision and ran down her cheeks.

"_I heard Dawn and Marina are no longer friends because she saw Dawn trying to seduce Jimmy. I don't blame Marina for no longer being friends with her. She's a slut. I heard she's a stripper at a club; that's how she affords all those diamonds she wears."_

She heard them whispering about her, watching her was she walked by, muttering more lies under their breath to their neighbors.

"_Really? I didn't know she was a stripper. But I suppose that does explain why she has so many expensive things. I always assumed she just stole them. Anyway, I heard Paul's going to dump her tonight because she's cheating on him!"_

She searched for Paul's face in the crowded room, looking for that familiar shade of lavender. The room was hot and stuffy, and the loud music was making her head throb. She felt exhausted although she had only been at the prom for half an hour at the most.

Dawn sighed and checked her watch. Her and Paul came really late; Prom was almost half way of over. They usually announced the Prom Queen and King halfway through.

_I still have to tell Paul I'm moving,_ she thought to herself, heaving a sigh as her head began throbbing even more painfully.

Finally, she spotted Paul at the other side of the dance floor.

"_Hey, Paul! Is it true you're going to break up with Dawn?"_

"…"

"Paul! There's something I need to tell you," Dawn said as she reached him. He only glanced briefly at her. He was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed in front of his chest. He uncrossed them as he shoved them into his pants pockets and turned to face her.

"There's something I need to say first." He replied coldly back.

Dawn frowned at him, surprised by his cold tone. "Um, sure. What do you need to tell me?"

Curious heads turned their way, all ears for what Paul was about to say.

* * *

_Her mother was the one who took her father's death the hardest. Every street, every corner, every pebble on the ground in the small town of Twinleaf seemed to hold a memory of her father for her mother. Dawn could tell when her mom was remembering a memory that involved her father because there was always a sad, distant look in her eyes and a sad smile painted oh-so fake on her face. _

_Dawn knew her mom needed to get away from it all, Dawn knew her mom needed to get out of Twinleaf, needed to forget about her dad. Her mom needed to move on, most of all. To forget and move forward, and to no longer suffocate in the memories and to breathe in the ones that were ready to be created._

_And one day, her mom decided to do just that. _

_And so they moved, leaving everything behind._

"_So where are you moving to?" Leona questioned, slumping in one of the swings on the swing set, after she explained to her childhood friend that there were cardboard boxes in her house because they were moving._

"_To Veilstone," Dawn responded._

"_I wish you didn't have to move," she sighed. "I mean, we just got our very first pokémon just a week ago!"_

"_Yeah," she agreed, also sighing. She looked down at the piplup in her arms who looked back at her, a small, questioning "lup?" escaping it's beak. Dawn giggled, turning back to Leona. "I wish I didn't have to move, but I think my mom really needs to leave this town for a while. She has just been so down ever since dad died."_

"_So she's still not over him even after five years, huh?" Leona said quietly, eyes on the ground._

_Dawn nodded. _

"_Kenny's not going to be happy about you moving," Leona mused, a small smile forming on her face. "You know he has a crush on you, right?"_

_Dawn didn't say anything, but an embarrassed blush heated her cheeks._

"_Oooh, so you do know!" Leona teased. "Do you like him back?" she questioned eagerly, a large grin on her face. "You do, don'tcha? You looove him!"_

"_Leona!" Dawn complained, the blush spreading. "I-I don't like him in that way, but… but I don't want to hurt his feelings… he's my friend, and I don't want him to be mad at me and… Leona, please just… just…"_

"_Relax, will ya DeeDee?" Leona said, grinning cheekily. "I won't break wittle Kenny's heart and tell him that you don't feel the same way, 'kay?"_

_Dawn breathed a sigh of relief._

"_Thanks, Leona."_

"_No problemo!"_

_Weeks passed by, and day by day, moving day gradually came closer, and when it finally arrived, it happened and was then gone in what felt like a heartbeat. She didn't want to leave, she really didn't, but she did it for her mom's sake, not her own._

_Her and Leona wept as they said their tearful goodbyes, staining the other's shirts with their tears. They promised to call the other as they hugged one last time. Her and Kenny simply shook hands, exchanging hopeful words. In the end, Dawn hugged him and he called her DeeDee one last time in Twinleaf, and she laughed despite how much she truly hated the nickname. _

_A few other kids in her neighborhood came by to tell her their goodbyes too, jokingly saying they would miss her sparkly dandruff when she was gone. She laughed some more, her cheeks turning red in embarrassment. Even Ami, who never really liked Dawn and who she never really liked back, came to tell her goodbye and to also make a quick joke about her "diamond dandruff"._

"_Promise you'll call me, everyday?" Leona asked one last time._

"_Everyday," she promised, intertwining her pinky with Leona's._

_Leaving Twinleaf… it was a _lot_ harder than she expected. _

_She was the new kid in fifth grade, and despite her cheerful attitude and her determination to be only upbeat and optimistic, all the other kids preferred to stick to their own clique. She was the new girl, and she was also the loner. She sat alone at lunch, she played by herself during recess, and she trained with only herself. _

_It was hard. She cried herself to sleep nearly every night, wishing, praying, and dreaming of going back to Twinleaf and still being Leona's BFF, defeating bullies together, having Leona call her DeeDee, and her shouting back to not call her that. She prayed for it every night, she wished on every shooting star she saw to go back to Twinleaf, and she dreamed of what it would be like if she was to go back. _

_She kept her promise and called Leona everyday… for the first year or two, anyway. _

_She sat alone, played alone, and trained alone for half the school year… but then it all changed when the new tomboyish, red-haired coordinator moved from Snowpoint to Veilstone. Having once been the new kid, she sat next to Zoey and invited her to have lunch with her. She agreed. Ever since then she never sat alone, played alone, or trained alone ever again._

_Soon after Ash came, followed by Misty, May, Leaf, and finally, Marina, and then Kenny came back and introduced everybody to her DeeDee nickname. She never really noticed when Drew or Gary or Jimmy came. After all, she couldn't befriend every new student. _

_And as she developed new relationships, grew closer to her new friends, and was introduced to popularity in middle school, the more she forgot about Twinleaf. _

_And so in Twinleaf she left her old house, old friends, and old life behind. In Veilstone she was living her new life with new friends, new boyfriends, and in a new house. _

_She was the same old DeeDee, but at the same time, she was this new Dawn._

* * *

"We're through."

Dawn blinked, the words registering in her mind.

They were… through? What does that mean? That makes no sense.

"_We're through."_

And then the meaning of the words registered in Dawn's mind.

"You're breaking up with me?" she exclaimed, shocked, truly shocked. Her eyes were wide in surprise, but not in hurt. She couldn't believe it. She really couldn't.

Paul confirmed her words with a nod and a cutting glare.

She was at a lost for words. Yet somehow, she managed to find some words anyway.

"Wh-why?" she demanded, still more shocked than angry or hurt.

"What? You thought you would be able to cheat on me and I would do nothing about it? You thought I would just allow it?" he sneered, crossing his arms again.

"_Cheating on you?" _she exclaimed shrilly, her hand flying to where her heart laid hidden beneath her chest. It was starting to hurt, as if a nail was being driven into it. "Paul, what are you talking about?"

He glared at her.

"That blonde-haired guy," he hissed. "You say you're not cheating on me with him, but like I'm going to believe your lousy excuses. Actually in fact, you couldn't even come up with a lousy enough excuse for why I should believe you when you say there's nothing between you two!"

Tears began to blur Dawn's eyes until she saw nothing but a blur of lavender, white and black.

She could hear people murmuring to one another around her.

"Paul…" she whispered. "You can't possibly believe that… I'm not cheating on you… I would never cheat on you. How could you think I was cheating on you with him?"

"You're always being seen with him," he responded coldly back.

"Paul, that means nothing!" she exclaimed. "Just because I'm seen with him doesn't mean that he's a secret boyfriend of mine!"

"Oh yeah?" Paul snarled. "If he's not just some other boyfriend of yours, then _why_ are you always being seen with him, huh? Why do _I_ always see you with him?"

Dawn stared at him hopelessly, tears pouring like rivers down both cheeks, mascara mixed in with the salty tears.

"Well?" Paul hissed, his black eyes burning into hers like coal in a fireplace.

"Yeah!" A boy who was watching them yelled. "Tell us the truth, you faker!"

"Yeah!" More voices yelled in agreement.

Startled, Dawn glanced around and her heart fell when she realized nearly everybody who attended the dance were gathered around them in a circle, watching them, waiting for her response with wide eyes. In the crowd she could also see all of her friends… or ex-friends, anyway. May, her blue eyes filled not with anger, but with sympathy. In fact, all of her friends had sympathy in their eyes as they watched her along with a hint of embarrassment.

Suddenly, people started shouting.

"Tell us the truth you fake!"

"Yeah, did you cheat on Paul, you slut?" A girl yelled.

"Tell us the truth, whore!"

More tears spilled from her eyes and she closed them, willing everything to go away, praying this was just a dream, a horribly realistic dream. But when she reopened her eyes, her sight blurred by tears, she could still see them. The accusing faces of her classmates, the sympathetic faces of her friends and hatred-filled face of Paul. The world was spinning, and she felt sick.

"Whore!"

"Slut!"

"Bitch!"

"You aren't a diamond, you fake!"

"Huh." Startled, Dawn looked up into the malicious eyes of Paul, a cruel smirk present on his face. "Looks like not everybody think you're so perfect now." He chuckled darkly, the sound ringing in her ears like evil laughter.

She watched him helplessly as he continued,

"Serves you right. Thinking you're so much better than everyone else, thinking you can do whatever you want," he said, a snarl in his voice. "Thinking you're so perfect all the time."

"I don't think I'm perfect!" she protested, more tears falling from her eyes. "I _know_ I'm not perfect! I have flaws, I make mistakes, I'm _human_, for Pete's sake! But Paul, I _swear_ to you I did not—"

"Cheat on me?" he finished, laughing darkly. "I doubt that. You haven't exactly given me any reason to believe otherwise!"

"_Paul_—!" she screamed.

"You're so pathetic," he continued, his eyes a fiery pit of malice and hatred. "Always being so optimistic and happy, as if there's not a damn thing wrong with this world, always thinking everything is going to be alright in the end!"

"_Paul_—!" she sobbed, collapsing to her knees

"You don't have the courage to tell your mom you don't even want to be a cheerleader!" He roared. "That is why you're so pathetic! Always going along with everything, trying to make every goddamn person in this world happy! It's sickening! You can't even speak up for yourself! Do you think you need to prove something to yourself, huh? Or do you just want to prove you're better than every other person in this damn school?"

Dawn stayed silent, her eyes shadowed by the bangs that fell messily on her face. His words rang not only in her ears, but also in her heart.

_He's right, _she realized sadly. _I am pathetic. I can't speak up for myself. I'm only in cheerleading because my mom wants me to be a cheerleader, I'm only in student council again because of my mom, and I only took so many AP classes because of my mom… I only agreed to go with Misty to camp every year because I don't want her to get mad at me if I refuse… And the only reason I'm in Veilstone today is because I knew my mom was sad being in the town my dad died in, and I wanted her to be happy again… I never think of my own happiness, just everyone else's._

And knowing her, she would just continue hurting herself in an attempt to make Paul happy again somehow along with everyone else.

But this time… this time she was going to stick up for herself.

And she wasn't going to try to fix something that was probably meant to be broken anyway…

"Paul…" she whispered, a final tear sliding down her cheek.

"You're pathetic…" he repeated again, this time softly. "And you still can't come up with any excuses for why you're a cheating whore?" he asked, a sneer in his voice. "But then again, there really are no excuses for being one."

The room began to vibrate with laughter from all the onlookers, and more tears filled her eyes but she blinked them back.

"Whore!"

"Slut!"

"Hooker!"

They started yelling again.

"_**Attention Ladies and Gentlemen, the results for Prom Queen and Prom King are in!"** _The DJ called out. Nobody paid him any attention.

"You know what Paul," she said softly, standing back up. She lifted her head and stared him straight in the eyes. Paul held his ground, his eyes glaring accusingly back into hers.

"You can give me diamonds," She took the diamond studs in her ears and threw them to the ground. They rolled on the ground and stopped right in front of Paul's feet. They sparkled in the room's dim lighting.

"You can give me pearls," she ripped the pearl bracelet he gave her from her wrist, and the pearls fell to the ground, the pearls making clacking sounds as they hit the hard concrete floor. The sound rang loudly throughout the room.

"But—" She paused, her eyes starting to water again and her voice starting to tremble. "If you can't even trust me…"

"_**And the Prom King and Queen are**—**"**_

"…then it's better we're over," she whispered.

"_**Paul Shinji and Dawn Berlitz!"**_

She turned sharply away, tears staining her cheeks once more as she pushed through the crowd, ignoring the names being called her way and the occasional congratulations. When she could see the stars and moonlight from outside she started to until she could feel the cold night air on her face.

And even then she didn't stop.

She didn't stop when she heard her ex friends screaming her name, screaming for her to come back and to wait up.

She didn't stop even when she tripped and fell, leaving her knees torn and bruised. She just kicked off her high heels and continued running.

She didn't stop when her dress got snagged in thorny bushes and shrubs; she just tore the dress free, ripping the expensive prom dress free from their greedy clutches.

She didn't stop even when her chest felt ready to explode, and sharp pains and aches tore at her inside like a knife carving a turkey.

She didn't stop, and neither did the tears that blurred her eyes.

They didn't stop until she was home, and even then she only stopped so she could grab the spare key under the mat and unlock the door. When she was inside, she slammed the door shut and ran upstairs and into her room.

And screamed.

And cried.

And screamed some more in a fit of rage and despair.

"I HATE YOU!" she screamed.

She tore at the posters on her walls – at the posters of her celebrity crushes such as Lance and Aaron and the Master Coordinator, Wallace – and clawed at them, crumbling them, shrieking at them.

"YOU SELFISH—"

She took one of the portraits of her pokémon down and broke the frame, shattering it into millions of splintered pieces which fell like rain onto the floor. When she moved her foot, a few of the pieces dug into her foot and spilled crimson blood on her pink rug, but she ignored the pain in her foot and concentrated on the pain in her heart.

"STUCK UP—"

Another portrait was shattered and smashed, followed by another and another.

"ARROGANT—"

She kicked at a packed box in her room, sending clothes flying everywhere. She picked up the clothes from the floor, beautiful lace blouses of hers and expensive designer clothes, and threw them at her dresser and wall.

"COLD-HEARTED—"

She sent papers flying off her desk which then scattered messily onto the floor. She stomped angrily at the paper, kicking at them, tears of rage falling onto them.

"BASTARD!"

She smashed her lamp to the ground before collapsing into sobs on the floor, glass piercing her skin and drawing blood to her hands and knees. Tangled blue tresses fell in her face as she cried and cried, broken on the floor…

_She was the girl who always smiled…_

Now she was lying on the floor, crying.

_She was the girl who was always strong…_

Now her world had crumbled and she was breaking with it.

_She was the girl everybody called perfect…_

Tonight, they all learned she was imperfect, just like them.

_She was the girl everybody called a diamond…_

Now…she was just a fake.

She was the fake diamond.

The Faux Diamond.

"I hate you…" she whispered, the image of Paul's perfect face burned into her mind. "I hate you… I hate you…"

_I love you…_

Picking herself up from the ground, tired, weak, and ghost-like, she walked over to her dresser. She looked into her mirror and what she saw shocked her.

Dull blue tresses…

Empty blue eyes…

Pale white skin…

Tears stained her cheeks and blood stained the front of her white dress.

She looked like a _ghost._

She didn't look real. She looked as if she should have been a mannequin. A lifeless mannequin that had been sent to Hell and back.

She tore her eyes away from her reflection, her heart beating faster from shock and fright.

Her eyes landed on the jewelry box she always kept on her dresser. The jewelry box where she kept all her rings and necklaces and bracelets that had been given to her over the years, whether from a family member, a friend, or an admirer of hers.

"_Serves you right. Thinking you're so much better than everyone else, thinking you can do whatever you want."_

Paul.

As if in a trance, she reached forward, her hand touching the cold surface of the jewelry box. Slowly, carefully, she opened the box. Many diamond and emerald rings glared back at her along with sapphire bracelets and ruby necklaces.

"_Thinking you're so perfect all the time."_

Her fingers touched the cold gemstones and closing her hand, she scooped up several rings and bracelets. She opened her hands, dull blue eyes glazed as she stared at the gemstones which glittered in the dull moonlight that leaked from behind the curtain, almost as if hypnotized…

"_Thinking you're so perfect all the time…"_

"…_so perfect all the time…"_

"_Thinking you're so…"_

"…_perfect…perfect…perfect…"_

…

"_**Or do you just want to prove you're better than every other person in this damn school?"**_

"SHUT UP!" she screamed. "I'M NOT PERFECT!"

An emerald ring her first boyfriend gave her clattered to the ground while a ruby ring now laid broken on the floor. Diamonds and pearls fell to the ground around her feet as the blunette screamed at the top of her lungs and tore at her hair, desperately wishing for an escape from all the agony her heart was in.

But no matter how loud she screamed…

No matter how hard she cried…

No matter how many diamonds and emeralds and rubies she threw to the ground and smashed…

Her vision was still painted only lavender and onyx and the red of her heart as it bled, broken and torn in half, on the ground.

* * *

Her room utterly destroyed, there was nothing left to break, and nothing left to cry over.

Rain spilled from the sky like teardrops, and the wind moaned mournfully. Lightning crashed outside, followed by the usual rumbling of thunder that was like a cry of anger. The weather perfectly represented Dawn's feelings: the sadness and tears, the mourning of everything she was going to lose and everything she had already lost, and the anger she felt at everybody… everybody…

For not understanding.

She laid on her bed, feeling broken and bruised. Her eyelids closed and there was only a single image in her mind, this time not of Paul.

Ursula…

"_I heard Ursula works as a prostitute at some bar," A girl whispered to her one day. Dawn was shocked. She had believed the rumor. She had helped spread the rumor._

"_Really?" she whispered._

_The girl nodded. "That's what I heard. I heard her family is like, going broke or something, so she works as a prostitute to earn more money for her family."_

What was happening to her had happened to Ursula once.

"_Ugh! I can't take this anymore," Ursula said one day, disgust in her eyes. "Really, you, of all people, Dawn, should know better to believe rumors. Of all the people I know, I would have thought _you_ would have had the decency not to spread some retarded gossip you don't even know is true. I guess I was wrong to think you were better than them, Dawn."_

"_Ursula, wait!" she called. _

"_Forget it!" Ursula shouted back. "I'm through with this place."_

She left.

"_By the way, Dawn, you can expect to not see me in coordinating tomorrow. Or ever again, for a matter of fact."_

She had moved. All because of some stupid gossip. All the rumors about her… they had gotten to her, and so she left Veilstone. Pointless gossip and untrue rumors had actually led a valued student to leave.

_She had done chosen not to deal with the rumors, _Dawn thought to herself. _She just left. She left without even saying goodbye…_

"And I'm going to do the same," she murmured.

_Paul Shinji, you will never see me again…_

She stood up and walked over to her dresser again. This time, she opened one of the drawers and took out a pair of scissors. The kind barbers used to cut hair.

_And if I do just so happen to see you again, Paul…_

She placed the cold metal of the scissors so they were just below her ears.

…_you won't recognize me._

And beautiful blue tresses once so soft, once so silky, once so beautiful they could have belonged to a Goddess of some kind, tragically fell to the ground like fallen soldiers…

* * *

It was past midnight when Johanna returned home after her date with Palmer.

By then Dawn's room was cleaned up, her portraits and posters were packed along with everything else that wasn't packed before and in boxes, and she was clean and freshly showered.

"Dawn? You're home so soo—" Her mother stopped mid-sentence and her keys dropped to the floor along with her jaw as she took in her daughter's appearance. "D-Dawn! Y-your h-hair…"

Dawn smiled, the smile stretching from ear to ear.

"Mom, can we move tonight?" she asked.

Her mother was still getting over her shock from her daughter's haircut.

"T-tonight?" she croaked.

Dawn nodded.

"B-but Dawn… the last day of school is tomorrow," Johanna told her.

"We do nothing on the last day of school," Dawn responded. "I won't be missing anything tomorrow."

"But your friends… and Paul…"

Dawn's lips pursed together.

"Paul and I broke up," she announced. Her mom's eyes widened and before she could say anything, Dawn continued, "It's better this way, mom. We're too different anyway."

"But Paul… he was such a…" Her mom murmured.

"Can we move?" she asked again. "My friends are fine with it," she lied. "So can we? It would be easier for me if we just moved now."

"Well, Palmer does have a moving van at his house already…" Johanna murmured thoughtfully. "But it's midnight… it's late…"

"Please mom, please!" Dawn begged, clutching her mom's shoulder like she was still a little girl. Johanna sighed and took out her cell phone.

"I'll see if Palmer is willing to drive back with the moving van," her mom told her. Dawn smiled and she thanked her mom quietly, wrapping her arms around her mother in a thankful hug.

* * *

"_Mom and I are leaving tomorrow."_

_Leaves shifted in the breeze._

"_I don't wanna leave, but I know it's what best. Mom has just been so sad here," Dawn said to a stone tablet, a grave marker for her dad. "It's like this place is suffocating her. It's like every corner is a memory that she wants to forget, but can't. It's not that she wants to forget about you, Dad, it's just I think it's painful for her to remember you."_

_The grave tablet said nothing in response, like always, but Dawn didn't mind. She knew her dad was listening. She always felt closer to her dad, as if he was still here, whenever she talked to his grave._

"_I am a bit nervous though," she admitted. "What if I don't make any new friends in Veilstone? Or what if they all hate me?"_

_She spun the stem of the dandelion by rubbing two fingers together, skinny white seeds falling down onto her hand. She sighed when all the fluffy white seeds fell off. She threw the stem over her shoulder and plucked up another dandelion._

"_Veilstone is huge compared to Twinleaf," she continued, twisting the new dandelion between her fingers. She looked out into the forest that surrounded the graveyard and saw a boulder leaning against one of the trees. "It's like they're a huge boulder and we're just a tiny little pebble." _

_She turned her gaze to the sky, and smiled, sadly._

"_I'm going to miss talking to you, Dad," she whispered. _

_Now I'm going to have no place to go when I'm feeling sad or angry, Dawn thought to herself, a small tear sliding down her cheek. Her chest twisted in angst, and before she could stop it, more tears followed the first tear and her chest heaved in uneven breaths._

"_I'm going to miss Leona and Kenny and Barry so, so, _**_so_**_ much," she rasped. "I don't wanna leave them… but I have to… for mom…"_

_And she sobbed right there in the graveyard, right in front of her dad, the tears running uncontrollably down her face, impossible to stop, until the sun sunk behind Mt. Coronet and shadows stretched between the tombstones._

_And when she would see her friends in the morning and when she would say her final goodbye to them, she told herself she would smile and remain strong; she wouldn't let them see her cry. _

_Of course, she wasn't strong enough to keep that promise…_

* * *

"Hey, Paul, are you alright?" Ash asked as he caught up to the plum-haired man. Paul shot a glare at him and snapped back, "I'm fine." Ash frowned.

"You looked pretty mad when you left at the Prom, after you know, your fight with Dawn…" Ash said quietly, his eyes dropping to the ground. Paul said nothing but glared at the ground.

"Did you talk to her?"

"Why would I talk to her?" Paul responded back, turning his glare back to Ash.

Ash frowned. "Well, I figured you would try to make up with her," he explained. "You haven't talk to her since the dance?"

"I have nothing to say to her," Paul replied, shoving his hands in his pocket.

"But—"

"But nothing," Paul hissed, walking pass the raven-haired man. "I wouldn't care if I never saw her face again."

As he walked further on, he soon spotted Dawn's posse not far away, the five girls assembled in a circle, there phones out in front of them. He couldn't help but notice how their mouths were gaped open, just inviting flies, and their eyes were as wide as tennis balls, as if they were in shock. Paul raised an eyebrow but then shook his head and began to walk pass them to enter the library.

"I can't believe it…" He heard one of them murmur in a tiny voice, followed by something that sounded like a choked sob.

"Paul!" A hand grabbed his arm and he turned around to glare into the red eyes of Zoey.

"What do you want?" he snarled. She met his glare easily, her glare possibly even more sinister than his.

"This is my fault…" A voice whispered. Paul's head snapped towards May who was looking at the ground with watery sapphire-colored eyes. "I shouldn't have been so harsh on her. I should have believed her…"

"It's not your fault she left," Marina comforted the brunette, wrapping an arm around her.

"What do you know about this?" Zoey's voice snapped his attention back to her. She pressed a button and her cell phone started ringing. He looked at the name on the screen.

Dawn.

Paul backed away, but Zoey roughly grabbed his arm back, and they were back to glaring at each other again.

"I am not going to talk to that—"

The ringing stopped and the voicemail came on. Paul stopped talking at the sound of her voice.

"_Hey, it's Dawn!_

"_If you're calling because you're wondering who that 'dorky blonde boy' is who you may have seen me with a few times, just to clear the false rumors going around about me being a cheating whore, I'll tell you that's my soon-to-be step-brother. Yeah, my mom is getting married soon you see, and this 'dorky blonde kid' is her fiancé's son. So there you go, now you have something stupid to gossip about all day. But of course, some of you gossip whores probably don't believe me just because it's a lot more fun to say I'm a cheating whore, but hey, that's perfectly fine with me. Believe whatever you want._

"_If you're calling because you are actually worried about me after what happened at prom, don't waste your breath. I'm doing perfectly fine, and I don't need your concern._

"_If you're calling for more gossip because you have nothing better to do with your life except gossip, just keep listening. You'll get plenty of things to gossip about if you do._

"_And if you're calling to see why my house is empty, it's because I moved. Yeah, you heard right. **I moved. **Now you have more crap to gossip about all day. And now that I'm gone, you're going to have to find someone else to gossip about so you can ruin their life too. Have fun doing it!_

" _And finally, if you called for any other reason, just leave me a message. I'll make sure to delete it. I also promise you I won't be calling back.._

"_Also Zoey, Misty, May, Leaf, Marina… if any of you are calling me… I'm sorry. Even if I wasn't your best friend, you guys are still mine. I'm sorry. Please don't call back._

"_Goodbye Veilstone. Forever."_

Beep!

…

…

…

"Hey, where are you going?" Zoey yelled.

Paul didn't answer back; he just kept running until he reached his car. And once he was in his car, he started the ignition and backed out of the school's parking lot and drove towards Dawn's house.

He ran all the stop signs and all the stoplights. Luckily there were no cars at the intersections anyway, and no cops around.

Paul stopped in front of her house.

…

…

…

_Unbelievable._

The house was empty.

Dawn had left.

* * *

_She was going back to Twinleaf._

_That meant facing the friends she had forgotten, and facing the kids she had grew up with for half her life… That meant discovering the changes they went through, and realizing they weren't the same kids she remembered when she was still ten._

"_Hey, DeeDee! Watch out! There's a plusle behind you!"_

_They all laughed when she fell for the same old joke once again, her eyes widening and a frightened gasp escaping her lips. She blushed when she realized there was nothing behind her. Her lips quivered and tears began to fill her blue eyes at the kid's mean joke._

"_Aww, don't let them get to you, Dawn!" Leona said, hugging her. "They're just big, fat jerks!"_

"_N-no need to worry!" she laughed, forcing a smile and rubbing at her tear-filled eyes with her hand._

_As she got older, the teasing got better, but they still made fun of her for phobia of plusles and minuns, some of the cutest pokémon around. _

_And on the first day she got piplup, after everyone got their starter pokémon, they had a battle session. The teacher had asked who wanted to battle first. Dawn had eagerly raised her hand. She had regretted doing so when she realized Ami, the meanest girl at Twinleaf Elementary school, also raised her hand._

"_Piplup, spotlight!" she yelled._

_It wasn't because she thought she would lose to Ami. _

"_Minun, dazzle them!" Ami shouted, a kind but devilishly cruel smirk painted on her face._

_They lost the battle and to make things worse, she fainted, and her hair started glittering like diamonds again. And the teasing only got worse from then after, until finally, a week later, she moved to Veilstone._

_Fortunately, she got over Plusle-Minun phobia in fifth grade, so nobody at Veilstone got the chance to witness her hair glittering like 'diamond dandruff' or called her DeeDee… that is, until Kenny moved to Veilstone with her. Then everybody knew her nickname. Nobody knew the origin of the nickname, however, which was all that mattered in Dawn's opinion._

_But now… she was moving back to Twinleaf._

_She was saying goodbye to Veilstone and everybody in it, and was now saying hello to Twinleaf and everything and everyone she thought she had left behind years ago…_

_Goodbye Veilstone,_

_Goodbye New Life, _

_Goodbye Zoey,_

_Misty, May, Leaf, Marina, and finally,_

_Goodbye Paul._

_.x._

_**The Faux Diamond**_

_Well, what do you know? The diamond is actually a fake!  
__She shines quite brightly until she gets dirty  
__Now she isn't such a beauty  
__Now she is just so…  
__So vulnerable…  
__So breakable…  
__And when she breaks, all that is left is shards  
__Because when the diamond breaks, she breaks hard  
__She was the diamond everybody thought was real  
__So tell me, how does it feel  
__To be shunned,  
__My Faux Diamond?_

* * *

**Wow, my chapters just get longer and longer. o-O Almost 18,000 words not counting this author note! I swear, the next chapter will be maybe 6,000 or 8,000. -.-;**

**And yes, I get you all hate me now. That's okay. I can deal with your hate. xD;**

**Okay, so this is the last chance to predict whatever you think will happen next! (; If you have an idea on what's gonna happen next chapter, please tell me, or else I may not believe you if you say 'I knew this was gonna happen!'. (Besides I wanna see how predictable or unpredictable I am).**

**Also next update won't be until sometime in September, most likely either in the middle or end of that month, that way I can see how my classes will be for this year (my school starts in about two weeks...not to mention I need to finish that summer assignment I've been neglecting for this story...). Next chapter will be the start of Part Two of this story (new part, new summary! 8D), so I figured this would be a good time for a break. If I finish before then, I'll probably either update it or get ahead a few chapters. :P Now…**

**Review? 8D *waves cookies* And let me know any mistakes you see! I'm sure there's a lot! D:**

**Also Random Fact: I wrote all the flashbacks (except the one where Dawn is talking to her dad's grave and the one where she's going back to Twinleaf) first, and then I wrote everything else inbetween. [:**


	11. Platinum

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **AU. Part 2: Platinum. She is the diamond that broke; he is the pearl that longs to be someone else. They were platinum, but they couldn't take the heat. Both were hurt and betrayed, but perhaps a second chance in Twinleaf can set things right. Ikarishipping!

_**PART TWO**_—**_Platinum_**

**Chapter Eleven**

"Dawn, are you ready yet? I'm ready to leave," her mother called impatiently from the living room. The blunette glanced at her closed door and sighed. She heard Barry exclaim something from the kitchen.

"Geez, Dawn is slower than Grandma!"

She rolled her eyes before quickly applying thick black mascara to her eyes. She smiled at the result. The mascara really did make your eyelashes look longer and more dramatic, like the label promised.

"Dawn, hurry up!"

"Yeah!" Barry yelled in agreement. "I promised James a battle today, and if I don't show up in the next ten minutes, he's going to think I chickened out! And I am _not_ a chicken!"

"Teenagers…" Dawn heard Palmer muse as she entered the living room, as he took a sip of his coffee before turning to the next page of the newspaper he was reading.

"Relax," she said. "I'm ready now."

"By time!" Barry yelled. "Now let's go! I need to pummel James before school starts!"

"Well, then lets go!" Johanna said. "School starts in like thirty minutes!"

Dawn grabbed her iPod and placed her pink earphones in her ears before blasting it at full volume, the iPod on shuffle, as she followed her mom and her step-brother into the car. A song by Shinedown came on.

"_My eyes are open wide  
__By the way, I made it through the day  
__I watch the world outside  
__By the way, I'm leaving out today"_

She was Dawn Berlitz-June. She use to be just Dawn Berlitz, but then her mom got married in September to Palmer June, dad of childhood friend, Barry June. And with a new dad, came a new house in a new town. Well, okay, maybe not _exactly_ a new town; she use to live in Twinleaf until she was about ten years old.

She was very different now that she was back in Twinleaf.

In Veilstone she had been confident, outgoing, popular, and until the last day she was there, was referred to as the "diamond". Now here in Twinleaf she was just another average teenager. She was still herself she supposed, just… different.

"_I just saw Haley's comet today  
__She said, "Why are you always running in place?"  
__Even the man in the moon disappeared  
__Somewhere in the stratosphere"_

Her mom had wanted her to be a cheerleader again at Twinleaf High. She told her daughter she would probably be good enough to be cheer captain at this school too. But remembering Paul's words, harsh but so true, she told her mom 'no'. She told her she didn't want to be a cheerleader again. She would never forget the shocked look on her mother's face when she had told her that, but she had taken a stand for herself, and that was all that mattered.

She didn't look the same either. Her beautiful blue locks, once reaching down to her mid-back, now only reached to her shoulders. She had chopped them off after Prom until they only went under her ears. Her hair was slowly starting to grow back, however. Of course, it would be a year, maybe even two, before her hair reached its regular length. She now also clipped her bangs away from her face with simple bobby pins rather than gold or pink triangular clips.

She also didn't wear the same make up she use to wear. She use to wear only mascara, blush, some lip gloss, and some light colored eyeshadow if there was a dance or some special even of some sort. Now she wore dark colored eyeshadow, usually black or a dark purple color, eyeliner, and mascara that actually made her eyes look dramatic along with lots of face powder that made her face as white as snow.

Even her clothes changed. Skirts, tank tops, diamond rings, they use to be all she wore. Now all she wore were baggy pants or skinny jeans, t-shirts, a plain jacket, and the only diamond jewelry she wore now was the necklace with the diamond D on it that her (biological) dad had given her for her fifth birthday which she wore tucked underneath her shirt.

Today, she was wearing a tight black t-shirt with a picture of a bronze-colored togekiss on the front, tight gray skinny jeans and black flats.

"_Tell my mother, tell my father, I've done the best I can  
__To make them realize this is my life, I hope they understand  
__I'm not angry, I'm just saying  
__Sometimes goodbye  
__Is a second chance"_

Dawn sighed. She really was different now. She have been different ever since that night. Ever since the night she lost everything. The night she lost all her friends. The night she lost her boyfriend. The night she threw everything away.

Glancing out the window on her side of the car she saw that they were just passing the last house on their street that have been empty ever since they moved back to Twinleaf. There was a moving van in front of the house now along with numerous packed boxes. She could see the door from the house opening, a person stepping out from inside…

"Hey, DeeDee!"

Dawn's iPod fell to the car floor as Barry tugged the earphones out of her ears. She turned to Barry, glaring at him as she smacked him upside the head before grabbing her iPod and turning it off.

"What was that for?" she yelled.

"You weren't listening to me!" Barry exclaimed back. "I was just telling you about how my Empoleon was going to pummel Jame's Gardevoir to the ground, I turned to you, and I realized you weren't even listening to me! You're lucky I don't fine you for that!"

"Yeah, fine me, and I'm sure your dad will be happy to pay for it me," Dawn snapped back.

"Sheesh, what got in your pants, Little Miss Grumpy?" Barry muttered.

"Would you kids stop fighting?" Johanna sighed. "I'm getting gray hairs listening to you too!" Dawn could have made a comment about that, but she was smart enough not to.

Her mother parked the car in the driveway.

She stepped out of the car. Dawn smiled when she saw Leona waiting for her like always just outside the parking lot.

"Hey, DeeDee," Leona greeted cheekily.

"Hey, you know the Duncan's old house? You know, the one we use to play in after the people who lived there moved out? Someone just moved in there," Dawn told her friend.

"No way," Leona said. "That house? It's been abandoned for years! That place is like a mansion though. Must be the most expensive house in town."

"If not the most expensive, it's definitely the _biggest_," Dawn responded. "Remember how we use to sneak into the house after dark and act like we were secret spies?"

"And we use to pass notes to each other!" Leona laughed, slapping her thigh. "Didn't we use to write in one of the room's closet?"

"The one on the second floor," Dawn confirmed, a pleasant smile on her face. "The second room on the left. I remember I drew a heart in there one time with my name and my crush's name in there one time."

"Didn't you use to have a crush on Tyler?"

"Yeah. That was the guy."

"Well, then you better hope whoever moved there isn't a guy our age whose name is Tyler," Leona told her. They both laughed at this.

"No need to worry," she said. "If it was a guy named Tyler who is our age moved into that house I'll just tell him it was another Dawn."

"Or we could just tell him your name is DeeDee."

She punched Leona in the shoulder.

"Ow!"

"Dawn! Leona!" Both girls turned around to see Barry, grinning as he waved towards them. "Hey! Are you two going to watch my battle? I tell you, this guy is going down!"

"That's what you said last time," Leona responded, grinning. Barry glared at her.

"That guy cheated!" he exclaimed back. "He got fined for it too! And I'm going to fine James too if he tries to pull any tricks during the battle!"

"All you do is fine people, Barry," Leona chuckled. "And nobody pays their fines."

"Hey, I'll have you know—"

"Plenty of people have paid your fines, yada yada yada." Dawn sighed. "Leona was just joking, Barry. No need to get defensive over it."

"I'm not getting defensive!" Barry yelled back, a pout on his lips. "So are you two going to watch me or not?"

Leona and Dawn exchanged glances.

"Okay, fine, we'll watch you," Dawn agreed.

"Awesome!" Barry exclaimed, pumping his fist in the air.

* * *

_A flash that streaked across the starry sky caught Dawn's eye._

"_A shooting star!" she gasped, standing up._

_I have to make a wish, quick! Dawn told herself, frantically thinking of something to wish about. An idea of what to wish about came to her. She clasped at her heart and took a deep breath._

_**I wish Paul would be more…**_

_She stopped suddenly, guilt starting to prickle her. She was about to wish Paul would be more considerate. She shook her head, and started a new wish._

_**I wish everybody would stop thinking I'm so perfect… I wish they would stop treating me like I'm perfect, when I'm not. **_

_If only they could see my flaws and accept them, Dawn thought._

"Dawn?"

Dawn's head snapped up at the sound of Leona's voice. "Huh?"

"You were starting to space out," she said.

"Oh. Sorry about that," she said, her cheeks painted red as she grinned sheepishly at her friend. "I was just remembering a wish I made a while ago…"

"Better not tell me it then if you want it to still come true," Leona said.

"Actually, it already came true."

"Mmmm…" Leona hummed. They slowed their pace as they reached the Duncan's house. The blinds were closed and it was dark inside the house, but there were cars in the driveway.

"Maybe we should knock on the door and say hi," Leona suggested. "You never know, there could be a cute boy our age who moved into that house, or even a better a total hunk whose in college or is world famous!"

"What world famous person would live in a town as small as Twinleaf?" Dawn asked flatly.

"One that hates noisy cities?" Leona responded, shrugging. "I dunno. There still might be some cute guy living there… a guy that might end up falling in love with you…"

Dawn sighed.

"I'm through with love Leona," she responded. "All the guys I dated either cheated on me, dated me for looks or money, only liked me because I was popular, or ended up completely backstabbing me during the middle of prom by calling me a cheating whore."

Leona sighed too. "You really need to forget about this guy." Leona told her. They have passed the old Duncan's house. "Move on. Find some new guy. Fall in love again. Only this time, _don't_ get your heartbroken."

"Easy for you to say," Dawn muttered. "I just can't forget about him Leona…"

"Even after all he did to you?"

"It's like how it is for all my other friends in Veilstone," she said. "They were my best friends there. We did everything together, we have so many good memories, we were always there for each other… They were like sisters to me, Leona, like you're a sister to me."

Leona smiled at this last part, flattered.

"Just like they were best friends, Paul… he was the only guy I ever dated who made me felt as if I was truly in love. He was the first guy I dated who truly understood me," she continued. "He gave me the best feelings in the world whenever I was with him, Leona."

"Whoa, too much information, DeeDee!" This earned a punch in the shoulder.

"I didn't mean it like that," Dawn said, a small grin playing on her lips. "I mean he made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside… sort of like when you eat chocolate ice cream."

"Chocolate ice cream always made me feel cold," Leona responded. "That's why I always ate it on hot days."

"Again, not what I meant."

"Plus I always get this chocolate-y taste in my mouth whenever I eat it," she said. "Did you get a chocolate taste in your mouth whenever you were around Paul?"

"Sometimes you are impossible to talk to, Leona," Dawn told her, laughing. Leona grinned cheekily. "But no, I didn't. I meant I always felt happy around him. I always wanted to be with him, that way I could always feel happy around him. Being with him, was the best."

"But then when you broke up…"

She frowned. "It was the worst…" she said quietly, remembering Paul's words. The hurt and anger began to clench at her chest again, bubbling, boiling up inside of her. She fiercely shook her head.

"So who do you think lives in the old Duncan's house?" Dawn questioned, changing the subject.

"Hopefully somebody cute," Leona said. A grin spread across her face. "Someone good-looking, rich, smart… or someone good-looking, rich, and a complete bad boy. Hopefully someone at least good-looking who is around our age."

Dawn smiled at her friend, and looked back towards the house.

_Huh?_

Over at the old Duncan's house there was somebody with light brown hair with a familiar hairstyle. Somebody talking cheerfully, a grin on his face as he talked to somebody on his left who was hidden by the trees. His voice was being carried by the wind, and Dawn knew she wasn't mistaken.

_Kenny? What is he doing here? Does he live in the old Duncan's house now?_ Dawn wondered, frowning.

"Is it just me or do I hear Kenny?" Leona asked, also turning around. Her eyes widened when she saw her old childhood friend. "Hey! It _is_ Kenny! What do you know? I guess he moved into the old Duncan's house!"

"Oh." Dawn mumbled quietly, turning back around.

"What? Don't you want to say hi to him?" Leona asked. Dawn hesitated before shaking her head.

"Not really," she said. "I'm not in the mood. I'm just going to go home and sleep."

"Oh. Well, okay," she said. "I'll tell him you said hi."

Dawn turned to watch her friend turn around to walk back to the Duncan's house. "Wait, Leona!" Her friend turned around. "Can… can you not tell him I'm here, in Twinleaf?"

"Sure," she said, nodding in understanding. She smiled. "I'll call you later, 'kay?"

Dawn smiled back. "Okay. Bye."

_.x._

When Dawn got home, she headed straight for her bathroom and showered. Steam fogged the mirror which she wiped away with the palm of her hand. She stared at herself in the mirror. She ran her fingers through her short, wet hair and sighed.

When she exited her bathroom in her black tank top and silk black bottoms with piplup prints on them, she took out her cell phone and went through her voicemail. They were the same as always.

"_Dawn, please come back to Veilstone! We're sorry, and we miss you!"_

Leaf's voice.

"_Dawn, won't you please text back or at least call us? Please? We're worried about you. Are you okay? Please, please, please answer back! We're worried sick, and you know I abuse people when I'm worried! Please, please, please call back!"_

Misty's voice.

"_Dawn, are you okay? How come you won't answer our calls? Please call back!"_

Marina's voice.

"_Dawn, again, I'm so sorry for everything I said before! I was being a jerk and a terrible friend! Pleaaase call back! I swear, I feel as if I'm about to have a mental breakdown if I don't hear your voice soon! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! Please, please, please call back and come back to Veilstone! We miss you so much!"_

May's voice.

And finally, Zoey's voice:

"_Dawn, answer our phone calls. We're worried sick about you! Please come back. It's safe to come back, really! We're sorry for what happened at Prom, we were all being jerks to you, and it wasn't right. Please, if you left because of Paul, please come back. It's safe to come back now."_

This last message left Dawn confused somewhat, but she just shook it off and deleted it like she did all the rest.

Her friends must have thought she moved because of what happened at Prom; they must have not realized she was going to end up moving anyway, even if what happened at Prom hadn't happened. They probably thought she had moved away so she could leave all her problems behind, like running away. It made her feel guilty, but she knew she couldn't call back.

She didn't know why she couldn't call back. She just… couldn't. As if something was holding her back. Her guilt, she supposed. For not explaining everything, for just moving away suddenly before she even had the chance to tell everybody. She was given plenty of chances to tell them she was moving, but she was always interrupted someway when she was about to tell them. She wasn't sure whether to blame sheer bad luck or Karma.

She sighed and glanced at the clock on her nightstand which read only seven o'clock. She flopped down on her bed, deciding to go to sleep, even though she hadn't eaten dinner yet.

She knew she was losing weight, but she just couldn't bring herself to care. She just wasn't hungry anymore. Even the pangs in her sides that told her she was hungry didn't bother her. She had experienced worse pain before; a terrible pain, in her heart, and so the pain in her stomach was nothing. Ever since that event at Prom she just hadn't been herself, and she just didn't have the same appetite she use to.

She was almost asleep, when…

"_Just gonna stand there and watch me burn  
__Well, that's alright because I like the way it_—"

"Hey Leona," Dawn greeted her friend, stifling a yawn. "You talk to Kenny?"

"_Yup!" _Her friend chirped from the other end of the phone. _"Turns out it's not him whose moving into the Duncan's house though; some friend of his is."_

"Kenny has a lot of friends," she sighed. "That could be anybody."

"_I met him," _Leona told her. _"He doesn't seem to be very nice. Kind of rude, actually."_

"None of the kids at Veilstone are nice," she muttered, bitterly remembering the events at Prom's. The hurt, anger, and betrayal she had felt on that day began to resurface, but she stubbornly pushed them away.

"_He is pretty good-looking though,"_ Leona whispered into the phone, a giggle escaping her mouth. _"Even though he has an odd hair color. Even weirder than yours, Dawn."_

"Har har," Dawn said.

"_Oooh! He's back out! You should have come with me here, then you could see him! You would be **drooling!**"_ Leona declared, still whispering. So Kenny and whoever-the-hell-that-other-guy-is wouldn't hear her, she supposed. _"Actually, you should come over right now! It's still light out!"_

"I'm in my pajamas though," she responded.

"_So?"_

Dawn sighed, thinking it over. She looked out her window and saw the sun setting, gold and scarlet stretching across her backyard. She could see the old Duncan's house only a few blocks away. She could dimly make out the shadowy outline of three people.

"Is Kenny still there?" she questioned.

"_Um, yeah," _Leona said.

"_Did you… tell Kenny I'm here in Twinleaf?"_

"No."

Dawn breathed a sigh of relief.

"_You're weird," _Leona told her. _"How come you don't want him to know you're here in Twinleaf?"_

"I… I just don't," she responded. "It's… it's complicated. Just please, don't mention me. Even if he asks about me, just… lie."

"_Oh, but lying is bad," _Leona said.

"Please?"

"_Oh, alright!" _Leona sighed. _"Does that mean you're not coming over?"_

"Tomorrow," Dawn promised. "If Kenny isn't there."

"_Hey, Leona, who are you talking to?"_ Dawn could faintly hear Kenny's voice in the background.

"_Oh… nobody_," Leona responded back, chuckling nervously. _"Nobody you know. Just a friend of mine. I was just inviting her to come over and meet you, Kenny—"_

"Leona!" Dawn hissed.

"_But she's busy,"_ Leona continued. _"She would be just the kind of girl you like, Kenny. Pretty, funny, outgoing—"_

"Leona!" Dawn hissed again.

"_She would be just like an old friend to you," _Leona laughed. Dawn wanted to face-palm herself. Was Leona's phone even up to ear? Or was she just ignoring her? She guessed it was the second one.

"_I see," _Kenny said. _"Anyway, listen Leona,"_ his voice dropped low, as if he didn't want somebody to hear him. _"Have you… had you heard from Dawn lately?"_

"_I thought Dawn was in Veilstone with you, Kenny!" _Leona said, rather loudly. Dawn face-palmed herself. _"But since you asked… no, I haven't heard from Dawn _lately._"_

"_Shhhh! Leona, keep it down!" _Kenny said, sounding frantic. Another voice was heard from the background, but she couldn't make out the words being said. She also didn't recognize the voice, but that could have been because the voice was so distant in the phone.

"_Geez, what's with him?" _Leona muttered sourly.

"_I'll explain later," _Kenny promised.

"_Anyway,"_ Leona said, speaking to her again. _"Sorry for the hold up. Kenny wanted to discuss something with me."_

"Oh, like I couldn't hear you!" Dawn snorted, rolling her eyes.

"_Anyway, I gotta go! Talk to you later!"_

"Yeah. Bye," Dawn said, hanging up her cell phone.

She sighed and glanced out her window again. She could still see the dark silhouette of three people in the distant. Watching the outlines, she couldn't help but feel as if she was missing out, especially now that Kenny was there. She sighed one last time before getting up to close the windows and draw the curtains, and then climbing back into bed, sleep overcoming her as soon as she closed her eyes.

* * *

She was being pressed against a wall, her wrists pinned to the wall like her body was pinned to the wall by a larger, muscular body. She could feel his lips on hers, and she felt dizzy with exhilaration as she pressed her lips back to his.

She knew who it was. She knew whose lips were on hers, whose lips she was kissing. Maybe that's why it felt as if there was a tiny hole in her heart that was filling her with a mix of joy and despair.

She knew who it was, but she didn't care. She enjoyed the taste of his lips against hers, even though in reality, she was tasting nothing since this was all just a dream anyway. She loved the way he was dominating over her, having her pinned to the wall. She enjoyed the feel of his hands tracing her curves, and the way his bangs fell messily on his forehead. She loved it like she had loved it when it was real. When it wasn't a dream.

Suddenly, his kisses became rougher and rougher, and they began causing her pain. She tried to pull back, but she was already pinned to the wall. She couldn't breathe. Still, he continued to kiss her, his lips like cement against hers. She realized she was suffocating.

Finally, he pulled back and when he did, he glared into her eyes. Dawn tried to back away again, scared by the intensity in his eyes, but found that she was still pinned between him and the wall.

"_P-Paul…" _she whimpered.

He didn't respond. His lips smashed onto hers once more, and this time she closed her eyes, willing herself to wake up. She immediately wished she hadn't closed her eyes because images and voices began to bombard her.

"_We're through."_

"_You're breaking up with me?"_

_..._

"_Oh yeah? If he's not just another boyfriend of yours, then why are you always being seen with him, huh? Why do I always see you with him?"_

The image of him angry at her was too painful. She wanted to open her eyes, but she couldn't. She could still feel Paul's rough lips against hers. She felt blood ooze from her lip and trickle down her chin while tears trickled down her cheeks.

"_Looks like not everybody thinks you're so perfect now."_

"_I don't think I'm perfect! I know I'm not perfect! I have flaws, I make mistakes, I'm human, for Pete's sake! But Paul, I swear to you, I did not—"_

"_Cheat on me? I doubt that. You haven't exactly given me any reason to believe otherwise!"_

"_Paul—!"_

_Did he not hear her? Why was he continuing on like this, breaking her heart?  
_

"_Paul—!"_

_Did he like watching her suffer? Was he maybe suffering himself? Why… why was he making her suffer? She didn't do anything wrong… Why couldn't he see that?_

"_You're pathetic… And you still can't come up with any excuses for why you're a cheating whore? But then again, there really are no excuses for being one."_

Tears were running freely down her face, blood from her torn lip running down her chin while her lip throbbed in pain. She still couldn't breathe. She was suffocating. Paul… he was suffocating her. She tried fighting back, kicking, thrashing, but he was too strong. His lips remained on hers, moving passionately against her still lips as she struggled to escape his g clutches.

Can't breathe… Can't breathe…

"_Whore!"_

"_Slut!"_

"_Hooker!"_

She could hear the voices again, but this time it was only Paul's voice she heard. It was him calling her names. The tears came faster and she sobbed uncontrollably.

Now it was her voice she could hear. But it was just a thought of hers she heard, not spoken words.

_I would do anything for you…_

I broke for you.

_I don't want to leave you…_

But I left you anyway.

_I love you, Paul…_

But you don't love me.

"_I love you… I love you… I love you…"_ She kept whispering the words over and over again to him, but he said nothing. He didn't feel the same way. He didn't love her. He had just used her. She was nothing to him.

"_I love you… I love you… I love you…"_

Finally, she opened her eyes and the last thing she saw before blacking out from lack of air was Paul's beautiful face, contorted with anger that was directed at her and only her.

"_I love you…"_

_.x.x.x._

Dawn woke up with a start, her heart pounding painfully in her chest. She touched her cheeks and realized she had really been crying. Upon touching her tears she sobbed harder, but did so quietly. She curled up in a ball, her head between her knees as she sobbed her eyes out, agony twisting her heart.

The first few weeks after the events at prom she use to have the same nightmare, over and over again. Night after night she would live the events of prom in her dreams, and every night she woke up bawling silently to herself, curled up in a ball as she cried tear stains into her pajama shirt. It became so bad she use to be afraid to go to sleep.

But then after a while, the nightmares stopped, and now about two months after the nightmares stopped, they were starting again. She didn't know why though.

_Please, leave me alone… _

* * *

"You're quiet today," Leona remarked as they walked to school together.

Dawn could have gone with her mom and Barry to school, but she wanted a little peace and quiet today after her horrible dream last night, which she was more likely to get around Leona than Barry.

"Just had a bad dream last night," she responded quietly. They passed the old Duncan's house, but she didn't spare the old house a glance.

"You look kind of pale," Leona noted quietly. "Have you been eating?"

"Of course," she lied. She had skipped breakfast again. Leona sighed, shaking her head, and dug through her backpack. She pulled out a red apple which she handed to Dawn.

"Eat," she ordered.

Dawn obeyed, taking small bites out of the apple and chewing slowly. The apple felt and tasted like plastic in her mouth. Leona stared at her friend sadly for a moment before turning her attention up ahead as they entered the gates of Twinleaf High.

"You're a sadder sight than usual, DeeDee," a voice commented from behind Dawn. The blunette turned her head a few degrees to see Ami, long rose-colored ringlets falling like a waterfall down her back like always, her hair a perfect contrast to the emerald green sundress she was wearing. Ami watched her with emerald-colored eyes like a snake watching it's prey as she sneered at her. "You should see a doctor for that eating disorder of yours."

Dawn glared at her, trying to weigh out the pros and cons of chucking the rest of her apple at Ami's head. She decided it was worth a try, but Leona grabbed her wrist and took the apple from her hand before she could do anything with it she would later regret.

"You should see a doctor for yours," Dawn shot back. "I'm sure they can find an effective diet for you Ami that will help you shed those extra twenty pounds in your stomach."

Ami gawked at her before pointedly sniffing and turning away, flipping her rose-colored ringlets over her shoulders as she did. She stopped a few feet away and turned to Dawn again.

"Oh, and some fashion advice, DeeDee: wearing boy clothes is _not_ fashionable."

Dawn blinked and glanced down at the clothes she had put on that day: an oversized black top that reached to her upper-thighs with a pachirisu and the word 'Zap!' on the front and dark skinny jeans with some worn-out flats.

_Boy clothes?_

Dawn hissed under her breath, and turned sharply around, stomping away. Leona ran after her, telling her to ignore Ami, but she wasn't listening to her friend. She was caught up in her own thoughts.

_First she insults my weight, then my clothes! Who the hell does she think she is?_

Sharply, she turned a corner and—

_WHAM!_

_Today is not my day… _she thought to herself, her head throbbing and pounding as she groaned, clutching her head as she forced her eyesight to remain steady. She blinked, forcing out patches of black from her vision.

"Hey, are you—"

Her head snapped up, and as if she was a fish on a hook, was forced out of her thoughts as she realized she recognized that voice.

She froze as her eyes met onyx. He froze too. Her body stiffened and her heart started pounding against her ribcage, threatening to break out. She knew all the patches of black from her vision had faded and the onyx-colored eyes she saw now were no hallucination.

_Paul…_

Leona's laugh snapped her back to reality.

"Ha! Smooth moves, DeeDee! I told you not to run," her friend snickered. She turned sharply to Leona to glare at her. "Oh! Hey, this is the guy who moved into the old Duncan's house!"

_Unbelievable. _

"He's that friend of Kenny's," she continued. "Erm, what's your name again?"

Paul didn't say anything, and when Dawn glanced at him she saw he was still staring at her, as if in shock.

"Hey, aren't you going to help her up?" Leona asked.

Dawn blinked and rage slowly began to numb her mind as she remembered Paul's words to her at prom. She could feel tears pricking her eyes again, but she refused to let them fall. Anger made her push herself off her knees and stand on her own two feet again.

"I don't need any help!" she snapped, swinging her messenger bag over her head so the strap was diagonal on her chest and picked up the books that had spilled from her backpack. With a final glare at Paul she stomped away.

Leona frowned sheepishly at her before turning to Paul apologetically. "Sorry. She's been having a bad day," she told him, smiling, before running after her friend. "Hey, wait up!" she called.

"I can't believe it!" she seethed under her breath, blue hair flaring after her as she stomped down the hallway. She hadn't felt this energetic in a long time. Or this angry. "I absolutely cannot believe it! This is impossible! Grrr…"

"Geez, what got into you?" Leona asked, frowning. "Are you okay? You seemed pretty mad back there… you know, it was just an accident. You two hadn't meant to bump into each other!"

"Oh no!" Dawn growled. "We _were_ meant to bump into each other! Want to know why? Because fate hates me!"

"Wait," Leona said, stopping her. "You run into some smoking hot guy and you say it's because fate _hates_ you? Dawn, fate _loves_ you for doing such a thing!"

"Leona," Dawn said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "If fate loved me, it would not have made me bump into my _ex-boyfriend._ The same ex-boyfriend who _dumped me at prom._"

Leona blinked. "He's your ex-boyfriend?"

She nodded.

Leona looked thoughtful for a moment, then she said, "The same guy who you just can't get over? The guy who had you crying buckets at my house when you first moved back here? The guy who thought you were cheating on him?"

She nodded.

Leona sighed. "Of course, it's the Paul who moves into the old Duncan's house who hurts you." A smile brightened her face. "So, when should I beat him up?" Dawn's lips curved up in a small smile. "Seriously though, now what?"

Dawn frowned, and she stared her friend curiously.

"You two were dating and then you two broke up," Leona said. "According to you, the last thing he said to you wasn't exactly pleasant, and you two left on bad terms, over all. So now what? Are you just going to ignore what happened between you two, or…?"

Dawn thought for a moment.

"I'm going to ignore him," she responded. "Whenever possible anyway."

"Is that a good idea?" Leona asked, frowning.

Dawn shrugged. "He broke up with me, he broke my heart, and he couldn't even trust me, his _girlfriend_," she responded, her voice growing stronger with every word. "I am not going to speak to him just to have him insult me some more! As far as I'm concern, we were never in the other's life!"

And with that said, she stomped away again, this time leaving Leona in the dust.

Leona sighed, shaking her head.

"She is so strong-headed…" she mumbled, following her friend.

* * *

It was fifth period now.

She was in Geology after having a Paul-free class (her second Paul-free class so far), and was disappointed when she found that Paul was in her Geology class. She was angered by this, but she was glad when he was seated in the table in front of her next to Barry and Ami, her back facing him so she wouldn't get to see him as much. Of course, it would have been better if he was on the opposite side of the room like he was in her other two classes which she had with him.

She had ignored him all day like she had told Leona she would do. She didn't even search for him during lunch period and she just prayed he had the first lunch period while she had the second.

Although she had ignored him most of the day, she swore she could feel him staring at her at times, but whenever she did look at him he was looking away. It left her frowning in confusion, but she would just shrug it off and would tell herself it was just her imagination. But then she would feel his stare again…

"Okay everybody, today we will be doing some chemistry," Roark announced. "So you will all be assigned partners."

Dawn sighed. She hated chemistry. If she knew geology was going to have chemistry in it (or Paul, for a matter of fact) she wouldn't have selected it as one of her electives for the year. She couldn't understand how chemistry was connected to geology anyway.

"Okay, so lets see…" Roark said, adjusting his glasses as he held a clipboard with some papers attached to it to his face. "Mason you're with Smith… Fairchild you're with Wheeler… Shinji, you can be with Miss Amulet—"

_A perfect match… _Dawn thought bitterly. _Mr. Stick-up-his-ass and Miss Cooler-than-everybody-else. I hope they live happily together for the rest of their lives._

Ami gladly scooted closer to Paul, and batted her eyelashes flirtatiously. Dawn made a face at this and rolled her eyes, turning back to Mr. Stoner, or Roark, his first name, as all his students preferred to call him.

It was sickening how Ami obviously liked Paul. Of course, it was only sickening to Dawn because Paul was her ex-boyfriend. Now Dawn knew how Kimberlee felt when she started dating Paul.

"—June siblings, you two will be paired up together," Roark announced, referring to her and Barry. They were the last on his list to be called out.

"DeeDee, over here!" Barry yelled.

_Why must Barry always call me that stupid nickname at school? _Dawn thought, annoyed. It was bad enough every other student at Twinleaf High called her DeeDee including all her teachers thanks to a certain obnoxious big-mouth AKA Ami.

Dawn turned to Barry and shot him a glare. "How about you come over here?" she suggested.

"But I wanna sit by my new friend, Paul!" Barry responded back, pointing to Paul. "Sit over here!" Dawn scowled.

Of course. Her step-brother is friends with her ex-boyfriend.

Ironically, Barry was the guy Paul thought she was cheating on him with and was jealous of. _Does he know that, _she wondered. _It's not like he ever saw Barry up-close or anything._

"Get. Your. Ass. Over. Here," she hissed, now shooting daggers at him as her narrows narrowed to slits. She saw Barry gulp as he scratched his head sheepishly.

"P-please?" he stammered.

"Oh well," she heard Ami sigh from next to Paul. Dawn turned towards her. A grin played on Ami's pale pink lips. "No DeeDee or Barry, more room for me and Paul." Dawn's fists clenched at these words.

"And I suppose you'll be the one taking up most of the room with that huge ass of yours?" she asked flatly, realizing she still needed to get back at Ami for her 'boy clothes' comment.

Ami blushed furiously at this, her face turning a bright shade of red. "Just because you have no figure!" she hissed back, her eyes narrowed to slits at Dawn. "Not everybody is anorexic like you."

_Oh no she did not._

"I am not anorexic you pig," she hissed. "And that is offending. Anorexia is a serious disorder."

"Oh, you're not fooling anybody," Ami whispered, her eyes glinting wickedly. "I see how you don't eat at lunch, and I've seen you without makeup on and you look even paler than you do _with_ that powder stuff on."

"Why don't you just go jump in a lake," she spat.

"How about you go—"

"Girls, girls!" Roark yelled, forcing the two away from each other. He turned to both sternly. "No fighting in this classroom! Now both of you, get back to work!

"Dang, I was hoping for a catfight," Barry whispered to Paul. "That way we could get out of doing this."

"Hn." Paul grunted uninterestedly. He was watching the two girls, most specifically the blue-haired one, as they turned away from each, both looking furious. Roark watched them warily as they took a seat in front of their partner.

"Yes, you changed your mind! Now Paul can help me with this chemistry stuff since you're not good at it!" Barry exclaimed.

Ami snickered from beside her.

"He isn't your partner," she responded coldly, pulling on his ear. "Now pay attention to how much of that mixture you're putting in the beaker and maybe this time it won't blow up in your face."

Barry pouted as she released his ear.

Dawn turned to the worksheet Roark had given them and read the instructions.

"Heehee! Oh, Paul," Dawn turned to Ami who was shamelessly flirting with Paul, batting her eyelashes and twirling a lock of her hair around her finger. "You're so funny!"

Paul merely raised his eyebrow, but even so this was enough to cause a wave of jealousy to crash down on her, jealousy boiling up inside of her like cooking soup. Annoyed, she turned back to the worksheet, trying to block out the sounds of Ami's giggles but to no avail.

"How many pokémon battles have you won?" Ami asked, giggling girlishly. "Now that I think about it, didn't I see you at the—"

"Do you mind?" Dawn asked, glaring at her. "_Some_ people are trying to work."

Ami stuck her tongue at her, meeting Dawn's glare with her own. "How about you go back to that tube of yours," Ami sneered back. "Maybe it'll make your hair sparkle, _DeeDee!_"

Dawn seethed under her breath, but had no response to that remark.

"Whatever," she said. "Go back to flirting with your boyfriend, so you can flunk this class." Ami smiled at this and flipped her hair behind her shoulder.

"She's not my girlfriend."

Paul's voice surprised Dawn and she dropped the pencil she was holding on the floor. She swore she just forgot how to breathe, and she struggled to inhale a fresh breath of air. When she managed to do so, she slowly turned to Paul.

_This is the first time we've talked since prom…_

"Could have fooled me," she responded coldly. She bent down and grabbed her pencil off the floor.

"I don't have any girlfriends at the moment," Paul responded just as coldly back. Slowly, she turned towards him again, an ache in her chest appearing where her heart was. She blinked back the water in her eyes before they had chances to form into tears.

"Surprising," she said.

Ami cleared her throat, turning the attention back to her. "So you don't have a girlfriend back home?" she asked, batting her eyelashes. Dawn's fists clenched from underneath the table. She just knew where this was heading.

An annoyed "no" was Paul's response.

"Really?" Ami smiled. "So how about me and you go out for dinner tonight?" she asked, her hand reaching out to touch his on the table. His hand retreated at her touch, but she continued smiling and batting her eyelashes confidently.

She was asking him out.

_And Paul never says no, _Dawn thought. She turned away from the two and turned back to her worksheet. _He always gives them a chance and then he dumps them later. He _never _says no. And nobody ever says no to Ami: perfect, beautiful, popular Ami._

"I rather not," Paul responded coldly. It could have been her imagination, but she thought she saw Paul glance at her before he said this.

Dawn's head whipped towards Paul, and Ami blinked in shock, speechless.

"D-did you just say no?" she stuttered, her eyes wide with surprise. She placed her hands on her hips and then glared him down. "Nobody _ever_ says no to me!" she exclaimed. "_Nobody! _What do you mean you 'rather not'? Nobody ever turns me down!"

Dawn would have coughed and said 'I think he just did', but in this case, she was equally shocked.

"Really?" Paul said, a smirk crossing his lips. "Because I believe I just said 'no' to you. So apparently somebody _has_ told you no." Ami glared at him, her teeth clenched together.

"Why did you just say no?" Dawn demanded, mimicking Ami and placing her hands on her hips.

Paul turned to her. "Excuse me?"

She glared at him, her eyebrow twitching as the sudden urge to slap him came upon her. His words from prom were still echoing in her ears, but she ignored the voices, forcing them to the back of her mind.

"Since when do _you _ever say no whenever somebody asks you out?" she demanded again.

"Ugh," Ami flipped her hair. "Stay out of this, DeeDee!"

"Excuse me?" Paul asked again.

She was beginning to grow angrier by the second at his indifference, and her hands clenched into fists on her side. "Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about! I know how you are!" she yelled.

"Actually, I'm not pretending," Paul responded coldly back. "Because I really don't have any idea what the hell you are talking about. And as far as I know we just met, so I don't know how _you_ could possibly know anything about me."

Rage filled her at his words, and she swore her eyes must have been flames as she glared at Paul, seething with rage. _How dare he pretend he doesn't know who I am! How __**dare**__ he pretend that what happened between us never existed!_

Barry dropped something into the beaker that caused an explosion at the same time she exploded at Paul.

_BOOM! _

"DON'T PRETEND YOU DON'T KNOW WHO I AM!" she screamed, and if it wasn't for Roark who was thankfully close by at the time, she would have kicked Paul's face in until it looked like nothing but meatloaf.

"W-wow, your anger is explosive!" Roark exclaimed, adjusting his glasses nervously. As Dawn began to calm down, Roark released his grip from the seething blunette. Even so, she glared at him with an intensity of ten burning hells, her teeth grinding together painfully in her rage.

"I know who you are," Paul responded back, unfazed by her screaming. "Your name is DeeDee, isn't it? DeeDee June?" He arched a fine eyebrow while Dawn's own eyebrow twitched.

_DeeDee June? **DeeDee June? **Who the hell is he fooling?_

Just then, a thought occurred to her. A voice began to whisper quietly to her inside her mind…

_What if he really doesn't know who I am? What if he just thinks I'm somebody who looks like Dawn? _That voice in her head queried. _Your hair is shorter. You wear different clothes now, and you wear darker makeup. You really don't look the same. And with everybody calling you DeeDee, he could think that's your real name. And Roark did call you and Barry the 'June siblings'. He could think your last name is June._

DeeDee June.

It was then she realized that he was fooling nobody but himself.

_He really doesn't know it's me…_ she realized, a coldness settling over her.

_.x._

S_o he actually doesn't know it's me_, Dawn thought as she walked home with Leona for a second day in a row.

She felt numb. Her mind felt numb. It felt numb with sorrow, with thoughtfulness, with cold realization. She wasn't sure whether to cry or whether to laugh. So in the end, she just stared at the pavement as she walked, a heavy and unusual silence blanketing her and Leona as they walked.

She could hear the quiet steps of Paul and Barry right behind her and Leona's steps right beside her as they walked. In a town as small as Twinleaf, most houses were close enough to the school for students to just walk home.

Her eyelids felt heavy, her mind was blank, and she felt as if she was made of stone. It felt as if she was really asleep and she was simply just sleepwalking.

"Are you okay?" Leona whispered after a while, worried by the girl's unusual silence.

Sure, Dawn had changed a lot, mostly in her outer appearance, but she was still the same preppy, outgoing, confident girl she always was… It was rare for her to be so quiet. Usually the only time Dawn was this way was when she was thinking of Veilstone… only then did she enter this quiet zombie state of hers.

"I'm fine," she responded blankly back.

She closed her eyes briefly, letting out a soft sigh, before opening them again.

"So you move like all the time?" Dawn heard Barry exclaim from behind them, obviously speaking to Paul. Another sigh escaped her lips, and she began to focus on glaring at the ground.

"Is this because of Paul?" Leona asked her softly, making sure to keep her voice low so the two boys behind her couldn't hear her.

"Don't mention his name," Dawn whispered quietly back.

Leona pursed her lips.

"Leona?" Dawn asked. Her friend turned towards her. "Don't mention anything about _him_ being my ex to Barry… okay?" Leona nodded. "Promise?"

She smiled. "Promise," Leona declared, intertwining her pinkies with Dawn's.

"And… and can you not say my name when _he_'s around?" Leona raised an eyebrow at this one.

"Why not?" she questioned.

"Just… don't. Call me… call me DeeDee, okay?"

Leona frowned. "Well… okay…" she agreed.

"So you use to live in Veilstone before you moved here? That's funny, DeeDee, use to—" Dawn's eyes widened.

"BARRY!" she screamed, whipping around.

"Agh!" Barry jumped back, one hand over his ear, his amber eyes wide in surprise. "What did I do this time?" he shrieked. "Arceus! You are _so_ lucky you don't have a sister, Paul!"

Her eyes narrowed to slits. She was aware of Paul's eyes on her, and she was aware of the red blush burned into her face, but she ignored them both.

"Quit gossiping like a little school girl, Barry; you're slower than a slowpoke!" she exclaimed.

Barry frowned. "You're crankier than usual…" he noted, scratching his head in confusion. Suddenly, he grinned, and he exclaimed, "Aha! You're jealous because I'm friends with Paul and you're not!" His grin widened. "Even you can't resist the charms of Paul, can you?"

She blinked in shock, her mouth gaped open. She glanced quickly at Paul through the corner of her eyes, then back at Barry, her face growing even redder in embarrassment. It felt as if her face was on fire.

"H-him?" she stammered, pointing to Paul without even looking at him. "What? You think I have a crush on him or something, Barry?" Her voice was high and squeaky, and she felt ready to explode. Ready to explode into tears or explode with anger, she wasn't sure.

Barry smirked smugly.

"And you said all my other friends are lame; well, you're looking pretty lame now Miss Sparklepants, compared to Paul! Did you know, last year he got second place in the annual Sinnoh League?"

"Of course I knew that!" she snapped. "I was there! O-oh wait! I-I mean, um—"

"Oh right! You were a cheerleader last year!" Barry exclaimed.

"No! I was, uh—"

"You were a cheerleader?" Paul spoke up, surprise in his voice.

Another blush began to burn her cheeks.

"Yes, I was," she snapped, finally turning to face him. Her blush only darkened as she took in his appearance and lavender-colored hair, her ocean-color eyes connecting with onyx-colored ones. "And I loved every freaking moment of being a cheerleader! Why, do you have a problem with cheerleaders?"

Paul was silent for a moment.

"No."

"If you loved being a cheerleader so much, then why did you quit?" Barry queried. "You broke your own mother's heart when you said you weren't gonna be a cheerleader again, and now you're saying you loved being a cheerleader. Geez, make up your mind!"

"I… I…" She stammered for an excuse, but couldn't find any. "I've said too much already." She finally said, turning away. She nudged Leona. "Come on, lets go."

She could feel the tears burning her eyes, but she forced them back. No, she wasn't going to cry. Not right now. Not in front of them. She would wait until she was in her room, all alone, then she would…

"See you tomorrow, Leona!" she called, forcing herself to grin. It felt as if hooks were forcing her lips to move and stay upwards as she waved goodbye to her friend.

"Yeah, see you tomorrow, Daw—! I mean… See you tomorrow, _DeeDee!_ Bye! Ciao!"

Dawn continued smiling even as she walked into her house. When her mom asked how her day was, she replied with a robotic "fine". She feigned the smile until she reached her room. Then it dropped.

She walked into her bathroom, closed the door behind her, and turned to her mirror. She stared into the blue eyes of the girl staring back at her, her eyes rimmed with black eyeliner, her eyelids covered with black eyeshadow. She ran a hand through her short blue locks that reached only to her shoulders and watched as the other girl did the same.

She didn't know this girl. She didn't recognize this girl. Yet, this girl was her. She was _this girl._ She was this girl who wore black eyeliner, dark makeup, goth and skater clothes, the girl with short blue hair, the girl everybody called _DeeDee_.

And finally, the tears she had held in all day, fell.

Why didn't he realize she was really Dawn, not DeeDee? Did he forget her? What she looked like, who she was? Did he forget everything they once had? Was she really that easy to forget? Or did he really just not recognize her?

_I vowed to myself that if I ever saw you again, you wouldn't recognize me, _she thought. _I didn't think you really _wouldn't_ recognize me. I didn't think it would hurt this much to _not_ be recognized. _

And what was hurting her most was knowing that she knew who she was, but he thought she was simply someone else…

* * *

Weeks passed and not much interaction was made between her and Paul.

He still believed her name was DeeDee June, not Dawn Berlitz, and she continued pretending she actually was this 'DeeDee June' and not his ex-girlfriend.

He also knew Barry was her stepbrother. Of course, he only knew this considering he had a fan in Barry who had watched all his battles in the Pokémon League, and Barry likes to blabber about things. Luckily for her, none of those things had to do with her; she only assumed Paul knew they were step-siblings (or siblings, at least) because he had asked her one time where her brother was so they could battle.

Of course, that was a moment she wanted to forget. Any moment she had with him she just wanted to forget; she wanted to be able to burn them like pictures until they were nothing but ash that would soon be forgotten in the wind.

And everyday, after coming home from school, she would cry herself to sleep, realization hitting her once more that Paul did not know she was the one person he hated.

And every time she looked in the mirror, she saw herself get thinner and thinner, paler and paler, sicker and sicker. Her mom was worried about her health. She was planning on taking her to the doctor soon.

Dawn knew she must have lost at least twenty pounds since she first left Veilstone. She wasn't anorexic like Ami said; she just wasn't hungry anymore. She hadn't been hungry since prom night. Eating nowadays, it was like a chore. Some people overeat when they were depressed, others don't eat at all; she was the latter.

Meanwhile, sleeping was like the easiest task in her world for her. She preferred sleeping; when she slept, the memories of Paul faded away most of the time and she didn't spend her time crying over him or her lost friends.

She hated it though.

She wanted it to be like how it was before.

Back when she was still in Veilstone, back when her and Paul were a couple; back when Zoey, Misty, May, Marina, and Leaf were still her best friends. Back when she would eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a few snacks in-between; back when she didn't sleep whenever she could; back when she wore skirts and tank tops, not when she wore skinny jeans, sweats and oversized tees. Heck, back when she was a cheerleader and she worked her butt off doing all those cheers that gave her an indescribable rush. Back when… back when she was happy.

Why did I runaway? She asked herself.

She asked her mom to leave. She could have stayed a few extra days. She could have used those extra few days to explain everything and try to make up with her friends while making impossible promises she would break her neck over. She could have stayed a few extra days and convince Paul she wasn't cheating on him.

She should have tried harder. She shouldn't have given up so easily.

But she did.

And she couldn't turn back the hands of times.

Dawn sighed, and closed her eyes. She was in her P.E. class, an aerobic/step movement class. After this she would have her advanced geology class with Roark next which meant another class with Paul.

She frowned.

_Paul…_

Sometimes it felt as if he was staring at her, watching her, studying her. Sometimes it felt like she would get up to get something and he would get up to do the same thing simply because she was doing it. The few times he actually talked to her it seemed as if he was just making up excuses to talk to her, just simply asking where Barry was or what period it was, questions she would have assumed he already knew the answer to. It was as if he was intentionally making them make contact with each other, something she wanted to avoid.

And then other times, it was like he was mad at her for no reason. Every time he made a snappish comment at her she would return the favor with some rude comments of her own. Of course, she knew the real reason, the hidden reason, why he would seem mad at her at times: it was because she looked like his ex-girlfriend. If only he knew she _was_ his ex-girlfriend.

Paul…

She closed her eyes and shook her head.

No, she was not going to think about him. He may have been back in her life, but that didn't mean she had to think of him every second of the day again. She was over him. Now she was just dealing with him. Once high school ended she was going to find a job and move far, far away, that way she would never see him again.

_Paul, I'm over you._

_.x._

_You can bend into another shape  
__Cover your mouth with tape  
__Cut your hair, wear eyeliner  
__You couldn't look finer  
__Wearing lies you stitched across your forehead  
__You can't undo what you already did  
__You may be malleable  
__But how long before he leaves the land of denial?  
__You aren't unrecognizable  
__Cut your hair, change your name  
__You're still the same  
__You were platinum  
__Now you're just scum_

* * *

**Platinum****:** _Chemical Elements _Precious Metallic Element - a precious silvery-white metallic element, highly malleable and ductile and highly resistant to chemicals and heat, used in jewelry and chemically as a catalyst and in electroplating.

**Malleable****:** 1. Able to be Shaped and Bent - used to describe a metal or other substance that can be shaped or bent without breaking. 2. Easily Influenced - easily persuaded or influenced by others.

**Ductile****:** same as Malleable's 1 & 2. :P

**Okay, so this chapter's title was a reference to both this chapter and last chapter. Dawn changed after hers and Paul's breakup so in a way she was "shaped and bent", so she was "malleable" in the terms of platinum (if that makes sense). Meanwhile, Platinum is also highly resistant to heat, which Dawn and Paul are not because they weren't able to handle the heat of their situations, which for Dawn was moving and her break up with Paul, and for Paul, Dawn "cheating" on him. They were also easily influenced; Paul by the rumors that were going around about Dawn cheating on him which influenced his decision to break up with Dawn, and Dawn was influenced by Paul's harsh words to change. **

**Anyway, how did you like this chapter? I probably should have warned you guys there was going to be major changes this chapter, but you guys probably knew already anyway. Haha, well despite the major changes added in this chapter (like them being in a new town, Dawn sort of rebelling, Paul not recognizing Dawn, etc., all the obvious things...) this part well also be a lot like the last part. How? You'll see. (: Also does anybody think they know what Dawn's dream meant? And no, it's not foreshadowing this time. **

**Anyway, please review. I'm in desperate need of inspiration. D; I've been working on chapter 12 for like a month now, I'm not even half way done. Usually, I finish a chapter in two weeks! SO REVIEEEWWW! D;8 Please? (; Haha. That's why I updated this week, instead of next week like I planned. x:**

**Also "Second Chance" by Shinedown is sort of the theme song for this part.**

**P.S. This isn't edited yet, so sorry for any mistakes! xD; Edit: Okay, it's edited now!**

**P.S.S. Does anybody know any good songs that aren't like on the top charts right now? I've pretty much over-listened to every song I liked, and music usually helps inspire me write fics, so yeah...**


	12. Mercury

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **AU. Part 2: Platinum. She is the diamond that broke; he is the pearl that longs to be someone else. They were platinum, but they couldn't take the heat. Both were hurt and betrayed, but perhaps a second chance in Twinleaf can set things right. Ikarishipping!

_**PART TWO**_—**_Platinum_**

**Chapter Twelve**

"Hey, did you write your poem for English yet?" Paul heard Leona ask her blue-haired friend, DeeDee.

"Yeah, but it's short," she responded.

"Well, it doesn't have to be long. Rowan just said it had to be at least five sentences long. How long is your poem?"

"Five sentences," she replied, giving a short laugh.

Paul closed his eyes. Her laugh, DeeDee's laugh, it sounded so much like Dawn's laugh. High, cheery, feminine… her laugh was like listening to chimes, and DeeDee's was the same way.

He shook his head, shaking away his thoughts of Dawn.

"Can I read your poem?" Leona questioned.

"Sure," she said, starting to dig through her backpack.

Barry scoffed. Paul turned to him.

They were arranged in stations. His station consisted of him, Barry, who sat right in front of him, Leona, who sat to his right, and DeeDee, who sat diagonal from him, next to Barry and in front of Leona. She was cheery and chatty to her friend Leona, angry and abusive to her brother, Barry, and was cold and distant from him.

She obviously didn't like him. But then again, he didn't like her either. She reminded him too much of…

He shook his head again.

No, he was not going to think of her. He was not going to think of _Dawn. _He was not going to remind himself of how Dawn was as much as a coward as his dad, having ran away from Veilstone. They may have had something between them in the past, but now that something was gone.

"Is there something you would like to say, Barry?" DeeDee's menacing voice broke his train of thoughts and he glanced at her through the corner of his eyes.

Barry scoffed again. "Just that your poem is so cheesy. I mean, you obviously wrote about that ex-boyfriend of yours, Pollo, or whatever his name was. I mean, who writes about an ex-boyfriend?"

DeeDee turned several shades of pink and red at this remark.

"I-I did not!" she stammered. "Th-the poem doesn't even mention anything about a boyfriend or an ex!"

"It's called _reading between the lines_," Barry responded smugly back, smirking. "Here, read it yourself Paul—" He snatched the poem from her hands, earning an enraged "HEY!" from the blue-haired girl. "Isn't it cheesy, Paul?" He held the paper in front of his face.

Paul squinted as his eyes as they began to focus on the print in front of him.

DeeDee's Poem:

_Teenage Idiocy _-

We fall in love quickly  
Our hearts are broken easily  
And our hearts mend slowly  
When will our souls finally be set free  
From all this teenage idiocy?

She snatched the poem back from Barry, crumbling the corner and nearly ripping it in half as she did so. She looked furious, her face a bright shade of bubblegum pink.

"It is not cheesy! Now mind your own business, Barry!" she spat.

"Yeah, just because you can't think of anything to write about except on how much you admire Paul," Leona agreed, smirking. "_Paul's the bomb because his pokémon are strong, with him in the battlefield nobody will last long!"_

"That sounds like a cheer…" DeeDee mumbled thoughtfully to herself. She frowned.

"You know, whatever!" Barry exclaimed. "At least I have my poem done! You haven't even started yours Leona!" At this Leona sweat dropped and grinned, scratching the back of her head sheepishly.

"Keep the noise down, Barry," Roark called from the front of the room. "I'm trying to arrange partners for the science project you'll be working on for the next month."

"Aww man! Another project?" Barry whined.

Roark narrowed his eyes at the blond-haired, amber-eyed boy and then, tucking his clipboard under his armpit, cleared his throat. "Okay, time to listen up again!" The class quieted down, and turned their attention to Roark. "Okay, so everybody knows about the big metal project I've been talking about for the last week or so, right?"

"Right," maybe a third of the class mumbled back.

"Well, I'll be assigning your partners today, and your partner will be the person you work on this project with. The project will be due in about a month, and it will consist of a collage, a written report on the metal, and for anybody who wants extra credit, you can bring in some real life examples. Like if you do your project on tin, you can bring in a tin can. Easy extra credit points. Of course, if you do your project on something like platinum, it may be harder to bring something in, so pick wisely."

DeeDee raised her hand.

"Yes, what is it, DeeDee?" Roark asked.

"Can we choose our partners?" she queried, glancing hopefully at Leona.

He shook his head. "Sorry, but no," he responded. "I'll be choosing your partners."

"Darn," Leona huffed.

"I hope I get paired with Paul," Barry exclaimed, beaming.

DeeDee narrowed her eyes at him. "Paul, Paul, Paul," she said, cringing her nose in disgust. "You always want to do your labs or projects with _him_."

"And you always want to do your labs and projects with _Leona_," Paul sneered back, glaring at her. She met his glare easily.

Roark started to count to himself. "Hmmm… seventeen girls and fifteen boys…" He mumbled thoughtfully. "Well, I guess two girls will have to get partnered up together!" He said, shrugging. "Okay, so everybody—or almost everybody, anyway—will be partnered up with somebody of the opposite sex!"

"Great, I'm going to be stuck with a girl…" Paul muttered.

Roark narrowed his eyes at Paul and adjusted his glasses. "Is there something wrong with a girl being assigned your partner, Paul?"

"Nothing," Paul responded back. "It's just all girls are basically annoying. They're always shrieking and laughing, and when they're not doing that, they're gossiping and spreading rumors."

"Not all girls are like that," DeeDee spoke up, glaring at him.

"And whenever they're not gossiping, they're just whoring around," Paul continued, ignoring her. "Girls are weak and cowards anyway; whenever a problem comes up that they can't solve, they just run away from it."

"Hey!" Leona exclaimed, standing up from where she was seated. "What did you say!"

"You're a sexist pig," DeeDee declared, and also stood up, leaning across the table until she was eye-level with Paul. Her fists were clenched on the table. Anger was pulsing from every angle of her, the anger directed only at him.

"And like boys are all perfect and everything?" she sneered. "Like boys don't make assumptions and mistakes?"

"I never said that," Paul responded calmly back, smirking. "Guys make mistakes; we're just not stupid enough to make the same mistakes twice."

"You know what, you stupid bastard—" she shrieked.

"Whoa, whoa! Calm down!" Roark exclaimed, sweat dropping.

"And this is why I would prefer not to work with a girl," Paul said, glaring. "All girls do is shriek and make you go deaf, or make you wish you _were_ deaf."

"Oh, that's only DeeDee!" Ami called back. "I'm not like that _at all!_"

"Keep out of this!" DeeDee hissed, turning her glare momentarily to Ami and then back to him. "And this is why you would prefer not to work with a girl? This is why I would prefer not to work with a boy! Especially a stupid guy like you, who is all conceited and stuck up and is a cold-hearted jerk!"

"Oh, I'm the cold-hearted jerk?" He sneered. "Look whose talking. If I'm a 'cold-hearted jerk' then so are you. I didn't do anything to you, and yet you never liked me since the beginning."

"_You've never done anything to me?" _she shrieked, turning a bright shade of red. Her teeth clenched together, and glaring at him, she suddenly looked close to tears.

"No, I haven't. Not anything I'm aware of anyway," he responded coldly back.

Roark sighed, irritated. "Would you two quit bickering already?"

"Oh, so you've done nothing to me?" she said, ignoring Roark.

"No, I haven't." He growled. "Unless you would like to clue me in on how I wronged you?"

There was a long silence followed by another irritated sigh from Roark.

"Since you two love fighting so much and have little tolerance for each other, I guess I'm just going to have to assign you two as partners. Maybe working together will help you two appreciate each other better, and I won't have to listen to you two fight for the rest of the year."

DeeDee whipped around to face Roark, her eyes wide in shock. "What?" she exclaimed. "I-I'm partners with Paul?"

Roark nodded. "Do you two have a problem with that? If you to refuse to work with each other, I could always give you an F on this project, and this project is worth ten percent of your final semester grade…"

"B-but…" she sputtered.

Paul glared at the table.

He raised an eyebrow. "Do you two have a problem with that?"

The two exchanged glances at each other before averting their gazes back to the table.

"Well?"

"I don't have a problem with that." Paul responded finally, sitting back down and crossing his arms.

"How about you, DeeDee?"

She stayed silent for a while, but then sighed.

"No… I don't have a problem with that, sir…" She sat down too, now glaring at the table.

"Good. Now," he cleared his throat again. "Now, more about the project: since you will have to finish a collage and a report all in a month, this project requires hard work from both partners and spending a lot of time together. I would suggest spending one to two hours each day or whenever possible down either yours or your partner's house, discussing the project together. This project will be the biggest and final grade on your semester grade and can greatly affect whether you fail or pass this class. You will also get a second project like this around the end of the year.

"Now, for partners…"

Paul muted out Roark's voice as he started rambling out names of partners. He already knew who his partner was, so there was no need to pay any attention to what he was saying now.

He still couldn't believe he got stuck with DeeDee. Of all the girls he could have gotten stuck with, it was the one girl who hated him most in this school for reasons unknown to him. He should have just kept his mouth shut about girls being annoying.

"Ugh. I can't believe I got stuck with _Ursula _while _DeeDee_ got partnered with Paul for fighting with him," he heard Ami scoff to a friend of hers. "So unfair."

Ursula?

"_One time there was this girl at school… Her name was Ursula."_

"Of course anytime there's a class where the girls outnumber the boys, I get stuck with another leftover girl." Ami sighed. "Just what I need. Being partnered up with some druggie."

"_Anyway, one day these horrible rumors began circulating about her: that she steals, she does drugs, she's pregnant, she works as a prostitute at some bar…"_

"Druggie?" Her friend questioned. "She does drugs?"

"_The rumors got out of control, and soon enough Ursula couldn't take all the lies going around about her anymore, so she left."_

"Haven't you heard?" Ami sighed, sounding annoyed. "I heard she got kicked out of her last school for being high on dope all the time. Either that, or for prostituting during school hours. Something along those lines."

"_If you're calling for more gossip because you have nothing better to do with your life except gossip, just keep listening. You'll get plenty of things to gossip about if you do."_

"Ami, don't you have anything better to do than make up stuff that isn't even true?" DeeDee questioned the blonde, a sneer on her lips. "Ursula isn't a druggie or a prostitute."

"You would know," Ami sneered back. "I heard you got kicked out of your old school for trying to seduce a teacher."

"I didn't get kicked out," she responded icily back. "I left."

"_And if you're calling to see why my house is empty, it's because I moved. Yeah, you heard right. **I moved. **Now you have more crap to gossip about all day." _

"But you know what, Ami," she said. "Believe whatever you want, and gossip as much as you want. It won't get you anywhere with your life. In the end, it'll probably ruin your life. And when it does, it will serve you right."

"…_And now that I'm gone, you're going to have to find someone else to gossip about so you can ruin their life too. Have fun doing it!"_

Paul tuned out the rest of the conversation, forcing out the images and memories of a certain blue-haired girl he use to know.

**ooo**

"_Hey, it's Dawn!"_

Dawn's voice. Paul had watched blankly as the phone rang and then went into voicemail, and he blinked dully as her voice, full of cheerfulness despite the harsh words escaping her mouth, filled the room, her voice now a droning buzz in his ear considering how many times he had replayed the message.

"…_And if you're calling to see why my house is empty, it's because I moved. Yeah, you heard right. __**I moved**_…_**"**_

Where did she move to? This was a question that always managed to creep back into Paul's mind, somehow, someway. But in the end, after thinking it over and giving himself a headache doing so, he told himself he didn't care. He didn't.

Him and Dawn, they were over. She had betrayed him. She said that boy was her stepbrother, but… he has been told lies before. So many, by so many girls. Those other girls, however, he didn't care about; it was Dawn he cared about, and now she was gone. She had ran away.

Just like his father…

But like questions about his father popped up every now and then in his head, he forced the queries about Dawn and where she went down, telling himself, convincing himself, that he didn't care to know the answers to all his questions.

"_Goodbye Veilstone. Forever."_

Paul shook his head, shaking away any lingering thoughts of his dad or Dawn as he threw his phone on the floor and laid his arm over his eyes. As he laid in bed he succumbed to sleep, a blue-haired angel haunted his dreams…

* * *

The final school bell rang, dismissing the students of Twinleaf High.

Barry was already waiting for him when he made it to the front of the school. DeeDee and her friend, Leona, were already beginning to walk to their houses. Paul and the hyperactive blonde kept a few feet behind them as they walked while Barry chattered endlessly about whatever came to his mind.

Meanwhile, Paul nodded and occasionally, grunted, lost in his own thoughts as he kept his eyes on the figure of Barry's blue-haired sister who was talking cheerfully to her friend about something having to do with contests.

He frowned.

Not only was she a cheerleader (or ex-cheerleader) like Dawn, but also a coordinator like her. Her laugh, like the soft sounds of chimes hitting each other, also sounded like Dawn's. Her voice was just like Dawn's too.

He found himself scowling at the sidewalk as he thought about all these simple, tiny things that reminded him of his blue-haired ex.

Why was he always reminded of her at just the tiniest things? How come he was reminded of her every time he saw DeeDee? Was it because she looked like Dawn? They looked like twins nearly. DeeDee could have been Dawn's rebellious twin for all he knew; that's how much they looked alike. But they had a lot more in common than just looks; they had many other similar things in common.

Like their laugh. Their smile. Their bubbly, outgoing personality (whenever DeeDee wasn't being moody over something he either did or _didn't_ do). Their friendliness towards others (excluding him and Ami, who DeeDee pretty much despised). He was reminded of Dawn in so many things DeeDee did.

But while there were things that made them similar, there were just as many things that made them different from each other.

DeeDee, she was fiercer than Dawn. She also wasn't a queen bee like Dawn; she was just an average student with a darker side. While Dawn was the preppy, perfect cheerleader who had everything going for her, it appeared obvious it wasn't all that easy for DeeDee. There were rumors about her… rumors that she was sick. She had a serious illness, a disorder, a disease, something. There was a rumor she was anorexic. There were rumors that something happened to her that broke her spirit. A rumor that she use to be strong, even stronger than she was now, and she that she used to be happy, but something happened to her that made her a ghost of the person she use to be.

She was like the ghost of Dawn. Did she use to be like Dawn until something or someone broke her spirit? Or was that just another rumor, and DeeDee had always been like this?

"Geez, you certainly like staring at my sister a lot, Paul."

Barry's comment startled Paul from his previous thoughts, and shocked and slightly embarrassed, he averted his gaze away from the blue-haired girl.

"Who said I was staring at her?" Paul responded gruffly back.

Barry shrugged. "Oh, were you staring at Leona?"

Paul scowled. "No."

"So you were staring at DeeDee?"

His scowl deepened. "No."

Barry frowned, then a smrik made his amber eyes glitter in the fading sunlight. "Oooh, you're lying, aren't you?" Barry said, laughing. "You're blushing, that's how I can tell. Do you have a crush on her or something? 'Cuz if so, you should totally date her!"

"I don't have a crush on your sister," Paul snapped.

Barry continued on, oblivious to Paul's previous words, "I'm not sure if DeeDee would date you though if you _were_ to ask her out. She doesn't appear to like you much. Of course, she hasn't liked any boys ever since what happened to her a few months ago."

Paul sighed and rolled his eyes.

"Aren't you going to ask what happened to her?" Barry asked, amber eyes bright.

He rolled his eyes again. "What happened to her?"

"Well, okay! You see, there was this boy she use to date and—"

"Paul."

His head snapped up and he mentally cursed himself as his eyes met DeeDee's. Again, he was reminded of Dawn as he gazed into those beautiful blue eyes that were the shade of the ocean bottom… the same shade of Dawn's. Sigh. He really was pathetic.

He was about to say Dawn's name, but he caught himself just in time.

"DeeDee."

She narrowed her eyes at him, and she was frowning as she crossed her arms tightly, almost protectively, against her chest.

"Okay, listen," she started curtly. "Since we got paired up for that stupid geology project together, I guess I'm going to have to have tolerate you until we finish the project."

"And I'm going to have to tolerate you," he added coldly.

She glared at him, her frown tightening into a thin line.

"We'll go down your house to work on the project," she told him.

"And why can't we work on the project down your house?"

Her frown returned for a moment, but then it pursed into the same line as before.

"Because with Barry at my house, pestering you, we won't get anything done, that's why," she responded.

"Hey!" Barry exclaimed from beside him.

He considered this for a moment and then sighed.

"Fine. Down my house then." He agreed.

For a moment she smiled. It was a small smile, barely there, but still present on her face. No matter how small the smile was though, it made Paul's heart jump as he again was reminded of Dawn in the tiny things DeeDee did.

"Ugh, you ruined my story, DeeDee! I was just about to tell Paul about what happened to you and that one boy at prom!" Barry told her, a pout on his lips.

Her smile vanished. Anger began to blaze in her eyes as she angrily turned to her brother, her short hair which only passed her shoulder by an inch or two whipping her back as she did so. Her teeth were bared in a menacing snarl and her fists were clenched at her side. Her fist grabbed a handful of Barry's white-and-orange striped shirt as she bought her face close to hers.

Paul was slightly shocked by the sudden anger that erupted from DeeDee, and looking at Barry, he could see the fear present in his amber-colored eyes. A gulp was audible from Barry followed by an "oh crap…".

"You will NOT tell Paul or _anybody_ what happened at prom!" she shrieked, her eyes blazing. "Got that? If you tell anybody what happened, I will make sure you live to regret it!"

"B-but—" Barry stammered weakly.

"_NOBODY!" _she shrieked again. "Especially not Paul! I don't care if he's your friend or not, you will not tell him or anybody! It's not anybody's business but mine anyway!"

Barry was quiet for what must have been the longest time in his life, DeeDee's anger leaving him speechless after her shriek attack in his ear.

"Got it?" she yelled again.

He nodded, shaking his head frantically.

"G-got it!" he squeaked.

Her eyes glared into his for a few seconds longer before she finally released her grip from his shirt. Barry backed up as soon as she did so and hid behind Paul.

"Gosh, what is her problem?" he exclaimed in a whisper, sounding annoyed now that he was free from DeeDee's grip.

Paul narrowed his eyes at Barry before turning his gaze back to DeeDee who whipped her head his way, meeting his eyes with a glare that warned him not to even try to get the story of whatever happened to her at prom from Barry. He frowned in confusion for a moment.

"Isn't this your house?" DeeDee questioned, still glaring at him icily, her thumb pointed towards a house behind her. Paul turned to where her thumb was pointed and saw it was indeed his house. He hadn't been paying attention to his surroundings and hadn't realized how far they already walked.

He gave a short nod.

"Then lets go and start the stinking project," DeeDee said, cringing her nose.

He scowled, annoyed by her bossiness. He walked up to his house and glanced at the driveway and saw both Reggie's and Cyrus's cars were gone which meant they were both out. He reached under the mat and unlocked the door.

DeeDee entered his house hesitantly, and she glanced around warily. He rose an eyebrow, but then shrugged it off.

He watched as she walked into the living room; she stood, clearly uncomfortable, in the middle of his living room as she took in the sights of his huge house. She didn't seem all that impress, but he supposed that was because her house wasn't much smaller than his.

"You can sit down," Paul told her.

She turned to him for a second and then gentlydropped her bag against a wall before hesitantly taking a seat on the edge of the black armchair that sat next to the coffee table in the middle of the living room.

"Okay… so now what?" she asked, avoiding his gaze.

He shrugged. "Lets discuss the project. Do you want to do the collage or the report?"

"The collage," she stated immediately.

"Okay," Paul said. "So what kind of metal do you want to do the project on?" He asked next.

"Gold," she said immediately.

He scowled. "Why gold?"

She glared at him. "Because gold is nice. Why? Do you want to do it on something else?"

"Actually, yes, I would," Paul said. "I think we should do the project on a diamond."

A look crossed DeeDee's face briefly, but then changed immediately into a look of annoyance. "A diamond? Why a diamond? They are so overrated."

He glared at her for a second. "And gold isn't?"

"It's less overrated than diamonds," she responded coldly back. "Why do you want to do the project on stupid diamonds? Besides, that's a gemstone, not a metal."

His glare lingered on her for a second, but then he turned away and sighed. "Fine. We won't do the project on diamonds," he said. He turned sharply back to her. "But we're also not doing it on gold."

"Fine," she huffed, crossing her arms. "What are we doing our project on then? Silver? Titanium?"

Paul thought for a second.

"How about platinum?"

She shrugged. "Fine. Platinum then."

There was an awkward silence. Right when the silence was getting to be unbearable, DeeDee finally said something.

"So…" She said, still refusing to make eye contact with him. Paul turned to her, waiting for her to finish her sentence. "Um, so you use to live in Veilstone?" she asked, her voice sounding strangled as she forced out the question.

He nodded. "Yeah."

He saw her peek at him through the corner of her eyes.

"Did you… like it there?" she questioned. Maybe it was imagination, and it probably was, but she sounded almost hopeful.

He shrugged. "It was nice. Better than some places I've moved."

"Oh."

Another silence.

"You move a lot?" she asked, finally turning to face him.

"Only because of my uncle's business," he responded. "His job requires a lot of moving around."

She looked at him, a thoughtful look present on her face. "Are you going to be moving again anytime soon?" she questioned, fiddling nervously with her hands.

"Probably not." He responded. "Twinleaf High will probably be the school I graduate at."

"Ah."

More silence.

Paul glowered at the green rug, his hands shoved in his pocket as he leaned against the wall. Why are there so many of these silences? Why is it so hard to talk to her? Usually he couldn't even get girls to shut up when they were down his house; why was she so different? It was annoying.

"So are you going to homecoming this weekend?" DeeDee asked.

"No." He stated bluntly.

"Neither am I."

"Why not?" he asked just for the sake of conversation.

She was silent for a moment. He was about to repeat the question, thinking she didn't hear him, but then she opened her mouth to speak.

"Because… just because. Dances aren't that great anyway. All you do is dress up, listen and dance to music with your friends or some boyfriend. It's nothing that special really."

"True," Paul muttered, glaring at the ground once more as he remembered prom and its horrible ending.

"Besides, its not like there's any reason for me to go," DeeDee continued. "I wasn't nominated for homecoming queen or anything. And I don't have a date or anything."

Dawn would have been nominated for homecoming queen, Paul thought.

"So do you have a boyfriend?" he asked.

"Why?" she shot back immediately, glaring at him accusingly.

He turned towards her and rose an eyebrow. "Just curious."

She was silent for a moment. "No, I don't have a boyfriend," she finally said. "I don't want a boyfriend. Guys are just jerks anyway."

"Not all guys are jerks," Paul told her, crossing his arms.

"You're a jerk."

He scowled. "You hardly even know me," he responded back. She just gave him a blank look, as if she could say otherwise.

"Guys are jerks," she stated again. "I would know."

"Maybe to you," he muttered. She stood up suddenly, and walked over to him. She glared up at him, her hands on her hips. He easily met her glare with a glare of his own.

"Guys like you are jerks," she started, her blue eyes flaring for a moment as her index finger angrily jabbed his chest. The small touch made Paul freeze. "Wanna know why?" she asked.

He unfroze. "No." he stated blandly.

She continued anyway. "Guys like you are jerks because you think you can just toy with a girl's heart whenever you want. Guys like you are also jerks because you don't know the meaning of the word 'trust'. If a girl trusts you, you're suppose to trust them back. Guys like you are jerks because you would believe some stupid gossip over your girlfriend if only for the sake of saving yourself from looking stupid if the gossip is true. But guess what, that just makes jerks like you look like assholes."

Paul blinked. "Are you done yet?"

Her eyes narrowed to slits. "Actually, forget everything I just said—"

"Easily done."

"—because all that doesn't matters. What does matter is that jerks and assholes like you, no matter what you did, don't deserve any girl's heart."

"Are you getting somewhere with this?"

She was quiet for a moment.

"Actually, I am. Has a girl ever told you they loved you?"

Paul was quiet for a moment, memories from nights long ago flooding his mind. He saw Dawn, her beautiful blue tress flowing over her shoulders, her blue eyes bright in the moonlight as she repeatedly whispered the three words to him. He felt himself stiffen, a strange kind of coldness settling over him.

"Has a girl ever told you they loved you?" DeeDee repeated her question.

"What are you getting at?" he questioned, annoyed.

She stared intently into his eyes, her lips set in a firm line. "If a girl tells you they love you, they mean it…" she whispered quietly. He frowned, suddenly aware of how close their bodies were.

Close enough to…

"Paul, I'm home!" Reggie called.

Paul spun around, cursing, while DeeDee stumbled back, an embarrassed blush crossing her nose and cheeks.

"Paul, what are you—" Reggie stopped in the kitchen, his eyes wide as he spotted DeeDee. "Dawn?"

Paul mentally smacked himself.

"That's DeeDee, _not Dawn,_" he corrected his brother in a hiss, glaring at him.

Reggie turned to DeeDee and frowned, confusion evident in his eyes as they slid over her figure and took in her short blue hair, eyeliner rimmed eyes, and the long ash gray razorback top and ripped black skinny jeans she was wearing with silver flats. The blunette kept glancing nervously at his brother and she was twiddling with her two index fingers.

"Oh…" Reggie mumbled as he indeed realized his mistake. He smiled apologetically at DeeDee. "Sorry about that! I just thought you were someone else."

"I-it's okay…" she squeaked quietly back, her eyes glued to the floor as she began to twirl her hair around her finger. She was frowning and her eyebrows were furrowed together.

There was a brief awkward silence.

"So, um, are you here to work on some project with Paul?" Reggie questioned, tilting his head to the side.

She nodded, pursing her lips together.

Paul raised an eyebrow at her. Why was she being so silent all of a sudden? Was she scared of his brother or something?

"We're working on this science project together," Paul told Reggie. "It has to do with metals and stuff like that."

Reggie hummed in acknowledgement. "So are you staying for dinner DeeDee? There will be plenty of food to go around."

She shook her head. "No thanks. I'm not hungry."

"You sure? You may get hungry later while you're working on that metal project."

She shook her head again. "I think I'll be okay." She smiled kindly. "Thanks for the offer though."

Reggie shrugged and entered the kitchen to work on dinner.

"You're never hungry, are you?" Paul asked blankly. Much to his surprise, she turned sharply toward him, glared at him for the longest moment, and then looked away, huffing.

"Lets go in my room," Paul offered. "So we can have some peace and quiet."

"Okay…" she agreed, following him as he walked up the stairs, down the hall, and entered the second room on the left.

"You have this room?" she almost gasped as they entered his room. He nodded, turning towards her. "Yeah. Why?" She shook her head, almost as if shaking off something unpleasant.

"Um, no reason."

"Anyway," he said, deciding to ignore DeeDee's odd behavior. "We should probably decide a schedule of when we should meet each other. Should we continue to meet each other every day after school like this?"

She shook her head. "No. We can't. I have an after-school job that starts tomorrow at five-fifteen and doesn't end until like nine o'clock at night."

"And? School gets off at three-thirty. We can just meet up at my house for an hour every day. From four to five."

DeeDee scowled but nodded. "Okay, fine. We'll meet every school day after school and try to work on the project until five o'clock."

"Good." He said. "Now, what do know about platinum?"

"It can be used as a band for rings," she stated. "And… it's silver-colored, I think. It's a metal. Obviously. And it's malleable, ductile, and it's resistant to heat. And that's all I know."

Paul blinked, unimpressed. "Yeah, that'll get us far on the project." He snorted.

She glared at him. "Oh, so I take it you know more about platinum than I do, huh?"

Paul was silent for a moment, stunned by how much he was reminded of Dawn with how she had questioned his own knowledge. She glared at him with eyes that were the beautiful shade of the ocean. She glared at him with Dawn's eyes. She glared at him with Dawn's ocean blue eyes.

_No! Stop! _

_Stop thinking about her! _Paul commanded himself, a low growl rumbling in his throat. _Stop it right now! DeeDee does not have Dawn's eyes! She only has a similar shade of blue to Dawn's eyes! So stop comparing DeeDee to Dawn! Just stop it!_

"Paul?"

"What, Dawn?"

Paul flinched as he realized his mistake.

"You called me Dawn." she whispered, her eyes widening.

She didn't sound angry at the fact he got her name wrong; instead she sounded surprised, shocked.

"No, I didn't," he retorted back. "I called you DeeDee. That's your name, after all."

"No, you called me Dawn…" she responded softly back. There was a moment pause, and then, with hesitance, she asked, "Who is this Dawn?"

"Nobody." He snapped. "She is nobody. It doesn't matter who she is."

She frowned, and although it was probably just his imagination, a hallucination caused by his frustration and confusion, she looked slightly hurt by his words.

"Your brother called me Dawn too…" she pointed out quietly. "And then you called me Dawn. She must be somebody. Your brother looked shocked when he saw me, when he thought I was Dawn."

"You think too much into things." Paul told her, glaring at the floor. "I think you should go now."

"What?" Her mouth gaped open in shock.

"I said," Paul repeated, his frustrations growing. "I think you should go now." When she said nothing, he continued. "It's getting late. You should go home before it gets too dark out."

She remained silent. Paul glanced at her through the corner of his eyes and saw that she was staring at her hand, a distant look in her eyes, as if she was remembering something or reliving a memory in her head. Her fingers began to curl upwards until they were clenched into fists, shaking slightly, as a look of anger and hurt crossed her face.

"DeeDee?"

Her head snapped up, the anger and hurt vanishing immediately from her face. Her fist quickly unclenched and fell to her side. She blinked, startled, before quickly recomposing herself and allowing a look of annoyance to cross her face.

"Okay, fine, I'll go now," she snapped, quickly picking up her bag and swinging it over her shoulder. "Not like I don't have better things to be doing right now at my house anyway then wasting my time with you," she sneered. She slammed the door to his room.

Paul frowned after her.

What got into her? He only told her she should go before it got took dark out. She didn't have to be such a drama queen about it. And what was with her clenching her fist a minute ago? Was she remembering some bad memory of hers or something?

Paul shook his head, deciding not to worry about it.

Not like it was his problem anyway.

Even so, something continued to nag at him; something deep inside of him that told him it _was_ his problem.

_/x/x/x/_

"_Who is this Dawn?"_

"_She is nobody. It doesn't matter who she is."_

…

"_DeeDee?"_

_Dawn's face looked up at him, her blue bangs clinging to her forehead as watery blue eyes glared up at him. She was wearing the exact same dress she wore at prom._

_Paul blinked and the girl in front of him had short blue locks again with black eyeliner rimming her eyes._

"_You will not tell Paul or anybody what happened at prom!" _

_She wasn't looking at him._

"_NOBODY!" she shrieked again. "Especially not Paul! I don't care if he's your friend or not, you will not tell him or anybody! It's not anybody's business but mine anyway!"_

_The light flickered, a moment of darkness cloaking the dimly-lit room, and Dawn stood in front of him again._

_This time he glared, but not at her, at the floor; his fists clenched at his side as frustration and confusion welled up inside of him, threatening to overwhelm him._

_A voice whispered in his ear:_

"_She's cheating on you, Paul."_

_The light flickered again and DeeDee was glaring at him again, her hands on her hips._

"_Have a girl ever told you they loved you?" _

_The light flickered again and he saw Dawn standing all alone, her eyes closed as tears glided down her cheeks, her fists clenched where her heart was beating beneath her prom dress. _

"_I love you…"_

_He faintly heard DeeDee's voice again._

"_If a girl tells you they love you, they mean it…" _

_The light flickered and he saw both girls. DeeDee stood facing him, tall and proud, dressed in a black dress with a black veil concealing her face, while Dawn laid on the floor, like a rose with a broken stem, once so beautiful, but now broken and defeated._

"_She's cheating on you, Paul."_

_A voice whispered the words in his ears again. The same words he heard almost everyday since they started dating; the same words that everybody told him at least once in every period he had back in Veilstone; the same words he must have heard at least a thousand times a day, whether the words were told to his face or to his back._

"_She's cheating on you, Paul."_

_When you hear these words enough times a day, you start to believe them, whether you want to believe them or not…_

_The two girls faded into nothing, but not before turning their identical blue eyes sharply to him._

_/x/x/x/_

The next morning dark storm clouds hovered over Twinleaf, blocking the sun's rays from reaching the small town. Small droplets of rain sprinkled down from the sky all day long, and by the time school got out, rain was pouring from the sky and to the earth in a steady beat.

While the girls in front of him, Leona and DeeDee, both had umbrellas hovering over their heads – Leona's a light green, DeeDee's a dark pink (a very girly color for someone who wore mostly black) – and Barry walked beside him using a binder to shield his head, he cherished the feeling of the rain soaking into his clothes. He didn't mind the rain one bit or the wet clothes, despite the temperature having to be close to the fifties or forties. And he didn't mind the numbness that came with being soaked to the bone with rain. He was already numb anyway.

DeeDee waited for him by his house, frowning as she saw him.

"You're going to get sick." She told him. He just shrugged. Her frown only deepened, and he saw her bite her lip as her eyes darted to his wet figure to the ground and back to him.

He reached underneath the mat again to grab the spare key and then unlocked the door. He entered after DeeDee, closing the door behind him. Water dripped onto the floor and mud scraped off their shoes and onto the rug. Paul just shrugged at this though.

Reggie wouldn't mind. He loves cleaning.

"Okay," he started, grabbing his science book. "So, do you know what—"

"Aren't you going to dry off?" she interrupted.

"No."

"You're going to get sick," she repeated. "You should go dry off."

A scowled graced Paul's features. "What do you care if I get sick?" he shot back.

She was silent after this. Finally, she sighed.

"I don't need a reason to care, okay?" she sighed. "Just get dressed into new clothes at least. It's like winter out and you're soaked. Maybe you want to get sick, but I don't. I would like to stay healthy."

Paul glared at her for a second but then walked up to his bedroom, deciding there was no point in arguing with her.

_Or maybe he just couldn't argue with her. _

If it would make her happy and shut up, then fine, he would change his clothes.

_Maybe he just wanted to make her happy._

About ten minutes later he exited his room in fresh, dry clothes. DeeDee smiled when she saw he actually took her advice and changed. Paul's heart skipped a beat at this smile, and unconsciously, he ran a hand through his damp, shaggy hair.

"So have you figured out how you're going to do your collage?" Paul questioned gruffly, trying to cover up how sheepish he felt.

"Eh, not really," she responded. "I mean, how are you suppose to do a collage on a single metal? All I know about platinum is that it's malleable and ductile – whatever those mean – and is resistant to heat and chemicals. And I only know that because I looked up the word in the dictionary on my computer. Oh, and I also know it's a transition metal."

"Malleable and ductile means the same thing pretty much," he said coolly. "It means they can be molded without breaking."

"Well, anyway," she said. "I was thinking that for examples we could have pictures that show it is malleable, ductile, and resistant to heat and chemicals."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "How would we do that?"

"You said malleable and ductile means being able to be molded without breaking, right? Well, we could show a picture of something that is being molded and isn't breaking. And we can show a picture of something that isn't being damaged by heat."

"Like?" he pressed.

"Like…" she frowned. "Like something. I don't know. I'll figure something out. We should just have a picture on the collage that shows that platinum is malleable and is resistant to heat.

"So, do you know what you're going to write about yet?" she questioned as she pulled out a piece of paper from her backpack.

"No." He answered honestly.

She examined the paper in front of her. "The sheet he gave us for this project says you have to write a detailed full-page paper on our metal, and we have to use another full-page or more writing about something that is like metal and how it's traits or whatever relates to platinum."

"How do we do that?" Paul asked, scowling.

"Okay, so you know how last year we—" She stopped, freezing suddenly. She shook her head, and quickly recovered herself. "What I think he means is we sort of have to compare it to something," she explained. "Like how does this person's trait relate to one of the characteristics platinum has? Say, maybe she's malleable, or 'can bend without breaking' because she can change herself with no problem. Or perhaps she is resistant to heat because she is good in heated situations, like when there's a rumor going around about her. You know what I mean, right?"

Paul nodded, finally understanding. "I get what you mean. I had to do something like this in my English class last year." He said, his voice dropping low.

DeeDee nodded, her blue eyes darting to the clock real quick.

"I'm going to have to go soon," she told him after a moment.

He raised an eyebrow. "You just got here though," he pointed out. "It hasn't even been an hour yet."

She sighed, sounding annoyed. "Yeah, I know. It's just I have to go to my _job_ soon. Remember I mentioned that to you yesterday?"

Now that he thought about it, he did faintly recall her mention something about a job…

"What kind of a job do you have?" he questioned.

"Doesn't matter," she replied quickly, her gaze falling to the floor. "I… I should go now. I just remembered I left my work clothes at my house, and I need to change into them before I go to work. I'll see you tomorrow, I guess."

Paul frowned after her.

_What's with her, acting all weird and skittish?_

He watched as she exited his house, gently closing the door behind her. Glancing around the window he saw that the rain had came to a halt for the moment. He saw DeeDee in the distant, spraying up water as she ran towards her house.

His frown deepened.

Why is she so strange? And what is with her always rushing out of his house?

She was just one mystery after another. She had been a mystery since day one; since the moment he met her. It was almost as if she was scared of something, or as if she was trying to keep a secret from him and everybody. Always so skeptic and secretive, always getting mad over the tiniest things.

_As if she is trying to hide who she really is, or trying to cover herself up somehow, _Paul thought to himself. Her figure disappeared as she entered her house just a few blocks away. _Almost as if… she wasn't who everybody thought she was. _

_As if she is someone else completely… _A voice whispered inside his head.

An image of Dawn appeared in his head followed by the contrasting image of DeeDee. He shook his head, shaking away both images.

_No. Impossible. She's not Dawn._

_.x._

_Poison in the air  
__Poison when she is here  
__Melting under pressure  
__Melting under the temperature  
__You can't forget her  
__It's getting hotter and hotter  
__Blinded so you can't see  
__She's poisonous, like mercury  
__Blinded so she can't see  
__You're melting, like mercury  
__She is toxic to your health  
__Killing you with stealth  
__A toxin you've experienced before  
__Poison, you need more  
__And as if sparked by flint  
__You're reaching the melting point_

* * *

**Mercury****:** _Chemical Elements _Liquid Metallic Element - a poisonous heavy silver-white metallic chemical element that is liquid at room temperature. It is obtained chiefly from the mineral cinnabar and is used in thermometers, barometers, pharmaceuticals, dental fillings, and lamps.

**Okay, so the purpose of this chapter was mainly to get "DeeDee" and Paul working together, and to sort of get Paul's side of the breakup since I noticed a lot of you pretty much hated Paul after you finished reading chapter 10 because of what he did to Dawn. Like they say, "you hurt the ones you love" (especially when you're also hurting) (: .**

**Also thanks to everybody who suggested songs to me like I asked! (: And to everybody who reviewed, of course!**

**Now some questions for you to answer/ignore/ponder over/etc.:**

**1) Why do you think Paul doesn't recognize "DeeDee" as Dawn?  
****2) Do you think Paul will eventually realize DeeDee is really Dawn, or "DeeDee" will reveal to Paul that she is Dawn?  
****3) What chapter?  
****4) Do you think anything important will happen next chapter?  
5) What do you think will happen next chapter?**

**Also so sorry if there's any OOCness at all, whether it's from Paul or Barry or Leona or whoever. Also sorry for taking so long to update this. You can blame homework for that. And my laziness too. xD; Heheh... Um, anyway, care to leave a review? (;**

**Also I'll probably have a preview of the next chapter on my profile in a few days or in a week or so for anyone who wants an idea of what may happen next chapter. (:**


	13. Copper

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **AU. Part 2: Platinum. She is the diamond that broke; he is the pearl that longs to be someone else. They were platinum, but they couldn't take the heat. Both were hurt and betrayed, but perhaps a second chance in Twinleaf can set things right. Ikarishipping!

_**PART TWO**_—**_Platinum_**

**Chapter Thirteen**

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Buy two smoothies get one FREE! (Fridays only)  
Try our ten new smoothie flavors!

Dawn looked up to see more droplets of rain begin to fall from the ash gray clouds that hovered above her, stretching across the night sky as far as the eye could see. She sighed as a single drop of rain splattered on the writing assignment she was currently working on since the good people of Twinleaf all had enough sense not to go out and a buy smoothie while rain poured in sheets from the sky.

At least most of them had enough sense, anyways.

She huffed as another raindrop splattered on her papers.

She wasn't even sure why she came to her job today. She could have asked for the day off. But no, instead she was outside in the cold, dressed in a pink t-shirt with her name ("DeeDee") stitched across the front and a white miniskirt, the required uniform for the stupid job of selling smoothies and other carnival junk food.

Why didn't she just ask for the day off? It would have been so much better than being stuck outside in the cold with no customer around or coming to by a smoothie. She asked herself that, and then she remembered Paul.

_We're getting too close_, she thought to herself. _I can't let him get close. Not again. Not after what happened last time. Just no._

It all felt like déjà vu to her. She had done this before, she had been through this before. They worked on a project together, they got close, she opened up, she fell in love, and then she got her heart broken. She wasn't about to let that happen again. She wasn't going to open up again, she wasn't going to fall in love again, and she definitely wasn't going to get her heart broken again.

_What to do… what to do… _she thought, tapping her fingers against the marble counter.

She brushed her bangs away from her forehead and clipped them back with two light pink bobby pins. She ran her fingers through her hair, pleased by the soft silk-like feel of her blue locks which now fell an inch beneath her shoulder. She held a lock between two fingers.

_Maybe I should cut my hair again, _she thought. _Before it gets too long._

Her fingers started tapping the marble counter again as she glanced around. Not long after, she sighed for what felt like the millionth time that evening, and started examining her fingernails which were perfectly painted a glossy black. For a moment, she was reminded of Paul's eyes, his eyes being nearly the exact same shade.

She closed her eyes briefly, placing her head in her hands.

When did Paul become her world? When did he become all she ever thought about? All she ever cared about?

Looking up again, she saw the rainy sky again, and frowning, she started to think about Veilstone.

When did her world go from shades of bright colors to shades of black and gray?

She started to remember her friends again. Suppressed memories began to resurface, all too suddenly and quickly for her.

Marina.

Miss Half-of-the-perfect-couple. Miss Everything-Dawn-wanted-to-be-and-more. Was she still half of the perfect couple? Or had she and Jimmy broken up? No. They were still together. No way would they ever break up. After all, they are perfect for each other. So compatible. Unlike how her and Paul had been.

Leaf.

Sweet, bubbly Leaf. How was she doing? Was she dating Gary yet? Or was she still single, watching as Gary dated all the trashy girls in Veilstone who only wanted him for his looks and because of the reputation he upholds?

Misty.

The hot-headed, quick-tempered red-head who had a secret shy side when it came to her crush, Ash. Was she still watching Ash quietly from the sidelines, waiting for the day the naïve trainer opened his eyes and saw her standing in front of him?

May.

Her noodle-loving (ex-)friend. Was she still mad at Drew? Was she still mad at her for secretly trying to hook her back up with Drew? Or had she finally forgiven Drew? Had Drew given up on her? Were they back together or not?

And Zoey…

Her best friend. Or so she _thought _her best friend. The red-haired tomboy who shared her same passion for pokémon contests. The first friend she had made back at Veilstone Elementary School. Just a few months before she left she recalled Zoey telling her of having a small crush on Kenny. Did she still like Kenny? Did her crush maybe blossom into something more? Was she maybe dating Kenny? Or had she started crushing on some other guy?

Her friends. The ones that were there for her through everything. Why had she gave them up? Why did she given them all up for a relationship that was meant to be broken?

_Don't think about them, _she told herself. Shaking her head, she pushed the memories of her best friends down, forcing herself to think of something else.

"Why did I have to get a job that required me to be outside?" she muttered sourly to herself, glaring at the storm clouds above her that refused to stop pouring rain.

Sighing, she turned back to the English paper she had been working on. Briefly she went over her day in her mind.

English was boring and difficult as usual. They were almost finished reading Hamlet and had a test on Monday, assuming school would be cancelled due to muddy roads and the ongoing rainstorm that refused to slow down or come to a halt all together. And after they took their tests on Monday, and it was finally Tuesday, they would finally have to present their book report to the class. Dawn began to recall the day in class, somewhere in the middle of the semester, when they had been assigned these book reports. Again, she could hear her teacher's voice.

"The book report will be due the first Monday of December—" Which was next Monday. "—two weeks before Christmas break. You will have to read one book – _all of it_ – and relate the theme of the book to real life somehow. The book also has to have a _minimum_ of 200 pages. You will also have to decide which book you'll do your report on by _next Friday_. Whatever book I check you out with, you have to do the book report on. Also you _cannot _do the report on a book that has a movie out. That means no Harry Potter books or any book from the Twilight saga will be checked out."

After the teacher explained on this, she passed out a worksheet that explained all the things she just said. Minimum of 200 pages. No book with a movie will be checked out. The theme needs to be related somehow to something in real life.

That day at lunch her and Leona went to the school library together to go look for a book we could do our book report on. Leona chose a book about some girl who goes to a spy school. She figured she could get some sort of theme that relates to life out of that. It took her only a few minutes to find that book. Meanwhile, it took Dawn a little longer as she read the summary of each book she considered.

But only one book really caught Dawn's eye.

"Just Listen" by Sarah Dessen.

Dawn's finger currently drummed the cover of the book as she pursed her lips together, continuing to watch the rain, waiting for somebody to come. She began to remember the rest of her day.

Government had went by in a blur as well as her coordinating class. Aerobics, she enjoyed, if only just because they were practicing a dance routine that day. Lunch was alright…until Ami decided to make another barb comment on her weight and lack of eating. The day only uglier from then on.

Science was the worst yet, with the tension between her and Ami still flickering like electricity between them, and with Paul's usual mood swings along with mood swings of her own only adding to her despaired state. Her fashion and designer's class which she took as an elective was alright; she finally finished sewing that sweater she was planning on giving to her mom for Christmas.

She wasn't exactly sure what she thought of her other elective, Family/Human Development, which she originally only took because she heard they got to take care of a baby doll like a real baby in the second semester, which today was focusing on topics was such as _depression_, _anorexia_, _bulimia_, _purging,_ _self-harming_, _drug abuse_, along with mental health. But to say the least, the last hour or so of her school day was very interesting.

Dawn knew she wasn't anorexic or bulimic. She knew that with a certainty. And she most definitely knew she didn't purge. If anything, she just didn't eat. She was just never hungry. Never had an appetite. She didn't have an eating disorder.

Or at least, that's what she told herself and other people.

Even so, she became unsettled when she learned of the topics they would be discussing that day in her Family/Human Development class. Of course, she supposed it didn't help that Ami was also in her Family/Human Development class and kept shooting glances her way, whispering to her friends, no doubt talking about her and her 'eating disorder'. Then again, Ami and her friends weren't the only one shooting glances her way.

_So much for trying to escape the rumors, _she had thought sourly to herself that day in class.

It wasn't really the discussion of eating disorders or the whispered-rumors circulating around her that disturbed her most. It was something her teacher had said while they were discussing depression.

"Overeating can often be a result of depression," her teacher had told the class, Dawn's eyes following her every move as she passed Ami, a table full of girls who looked bored and uninterested in the topic, making her way close to Dawn. "But people who are depressed can also experience a loss of appetite. Depression can also cause insomnia or cause people to sleep excessively. They can experience aches, pains, fatigue, and usually a loss of energy. They can also lose interest in activities that once interested them…"

Dawn's mind stopped paying attention to the discussion at that moment.

_Loss of appetite…_

_Insomnia and/or excessive sleeping…_

_Fatigue…_

_Loss of energy…_

_Loss of interest in activities that once interested them…_

Dawn never really considered herself depressed. She never even considered the option. But now as she heard the teacher recite the results of depression, she realized some of the things her teacher said could apply to her.

She hardly ever ate due to a loss of appetite. She often slept more than needed whenever she had the chance, even though half the time she woke up after reliving her nightmare prom. She often experienced fatigued, which was half the reason she slept whenever possible, the other half being due to her lack of energy.

She was also no longer interested in playing basketball with Leona like she was back when she was ten, before she moved to Veilstone, or even going to the mall, which she use to do at least once every week with her friends in Veilstone. The only activities she enjoyed nowadays were designing and sewing, which she got a chance to do everyday during sixth period, competing in contests and continuously beating Ami in the final rounds of the contests, and cheerleading. Or dancing to be more specific. Now that she thought about it, if she was to go back to being a cheerleader right at this very moment, she would probably just collapse with exhaustion.

Sighing, Dawn shook her head.

No, she refused to believe she was depressed. Maybe at one time she was, but now she was stronger and wiser. She had moved on; she was moving on to the future and putting the past behind her.

An image of Paul filled her mind.

…Or at least, she would put her past behind her as much as she could.

She frowned as she thought about him.

_He probably thinks I'm stupid. _She thought. _Or a psycho or something. Just running out of his house like that. I'm always doing that. He says one thing, asks one question, and then I just bolt like that, offering no explanation._

_I have a right to though, _she argued with herself. _If he only knew who I was… He wouldn't dare let me down his house again. He would hate me even more than he already does. Well, not me, but "Dawn". Right now he just thinks I'm "DeeDee"._

Dawn. DeeDee. DeeDee. Dawn.

DeeDee's from Twinleaf. Dawn's from Veilstone.

DeeDee wears eyeliner and skinny jeans, not skirts, low cut tops, and expensive jewelries.

Dawn has tons of friends; DeeDee she has only one close friend.

It was funny how she referred to herself as if she was two entirely separate people. As if DeeDee was real and that the experiences her and Dawn had were entirely different even though that wasn't the case. They were the same people. They had the same experiences. One just looked different from the other. Referred to by different names. But, all in all, still the same person.

Dawn's the diamond of the school… DeeDee she's nobody. Just nothing. Don't even speak to her. She is so weird; not to mention moody. Dawn, now, she's perfect. Gosh, she has like the perfect life. Head-cheerleader, perfect grades, beautiful and rich, hot boyfriend… or hot ex-boyfriend now, but whatever. I wish my life was that perfect.

Dawn's thoughts began to drift back to Paul, the nights her and Paul spent talking softly under the protection of the stars, to the disastrous events of prom and then the summer that followed.

The longest summer of her life. And the funny thing was, it was the longest summer of her life, and yet, compared to the previous summers where she spent nearly everyday doing _something_, this summer she did absolutely nothing.

But then again, with no friends to lean for support on, not even Leona who was gone all summer visiting her grandparents in another region, she kept mostly to herself, listening to the silence of the world around her. She didn't eat. Half the time she just slept, but even so, the summer continued to drag on.

She had often found herself going back to the night where she lost everything, the night she broke, the night everything changed for her. The night she was no longer the "diamond". She would remember her meltdown and the rage and despair she had felt, and she would begin to feel the same rage and despair she felt that night. She found herself eating less and less, and sleeping more and more. She literally did nothing half the summer.

She hated remembering the summer. Thinking back at the memories, which were only of lying in bed like some helpless kid, she could honestly say she despised the way she had acted after everything that happened at prom. She wasn't helpless. She was strong. She wasn't going to give up on happiness and everything just because of something that happened at prom, even if that something was having the entire school rebel against her because of some stupid misunderstanding which would have never even happened if some people knew how to _just listen!_

_Just Listen…_

Dawn glanced at the book she had read at least five times since she got it. The book she was doing her book report on. She had finished reading the book the day after she got it, spending most of her Friday night and Saturday trying to finish the book. She finished it just before evening. After finishing the book the second time she read, she decided was going to relate the book and its theme to people listening in real life. She already had everything she was going to say planned out, having rehearsed her lines in her head at least a million times.

_If they would have just listened…_

She thought of her friends.

_If _he_ would have just listened…_

She thought of Paul.

_Maybe none of this would have happened…_

* * *

Like Dawn predicted, there was no school the next day. It wasn't from the rain or the muddy roads like she expected though. Rather it was more from the snow that had came overnight, replacing the freezing raindrops from the day before.

Despite the fact that school was closed that day, she still felt obligated to walk to Paul's house in the freezing cold just so they could work on their project for geology together which would be due sometime before Christmas Break which was only a little more than three weeks away now. Dawn knew how fast time could fly, and considering they really hadn't gotten much done due to her always leaving earlier than she should, she decided it would be a good idea to go to Paul's house to work on the project.

Plus, Ursula, who was Barry's partner for the project was also coming over, and Dawn still hadn't worked up the nerve to apologize to Ursula about what happened at Veilstone. She really did want to apologize, for believing the rumors, just… she just wasn't sure she was ready for confrontation with her old rival in coordinating just yet.

And thus, the reason she was currently walking to Paul's house in the freezing cold.

Plus, there were a few things she wanted to ask Paul… or Reggie… if she ever worked up the nerve to ask either of them.

_Thump! Thump! Thump!_

Not long after she knocking, she could hear the muted thumps of footsteps on the other side of the door. The door opened in front of her, revealing Reggie who was currently wearing a green apron. He looked surprised to see her.

"DeeDee!"

She blushed as he said her "name", feeling ashamed somewhat that even Paul's brother thought she was someone who she wasn't.

"What are you doing here?" he questioned. "Oh, and come on in! It must be freezing out there!" He stepped aside, allowing her to enter the house.

"Thanks," she chirped, grateful. Her nose felt ready to fall off her face. "And I was, um, here to see Paul? You know, so we can work on our science project some more? We haven't really gotten too far on it, so…um, yeah…"

Reggie smiled at her, scratching the back of his head. "You trekked all the way through a foot of snow in the freezing cold, on a day you have off, just so you can work on your science project with my brother?" he asked.

Dawn nodded. "Yup."

"Well, Paul's in the shower right now, but I'm sure he'll be out soon," Reggie told her. She was suddenly aware of the sound of water running in another room. "Until then, make yourself comfortable."

"Okay," she said, taking a seat on one of the stools in the kitchen. She folded her hands anxiously in her lap, her chest leaning against the cold marble counter as she watched Reggie take out some pots and pans. Apparently he was planning on making something.

"Also sorry if Paul does or say anything that may offend you," Reggie told her. She tilted her head at him in confusion. Nonetheless, he continued, "He's been through a lot. The last few months haven't exactly been easy for him either."

For some reason, she got the feeling that Reggie was going to add _'especially with you around now' _to the end of that last sentence. She wouldn't have blamed Reggie if he did either. After all, she did look a lot like Paul's ex-girlfriend (and that's because she was Paul's ex-girlfriend).

"I imagine." she said, trying not to be rude and sound bored. "Um, is it because of his move here?" She knew it wasn't because he moved here. Paul had moved several times before. He was use to moving. So why would he be upset about leaving Veilstone and going to Twinleaf, some small, freezing cold town that was only known because of the lake that resided next to it?

Reggie shook his head. "Not really. See, we move all the time, so he's use to it by now. All of us are use to it. It's just… well, it's this girl." Dawn's ear perked up at the word _girl._

"He's… having girl troubles?" she asked slowly, looking up at Reggie. Had she heard right?

Was this about her? It must have been.

Reggie nodded. He said nothing more about it though as he began to wash his hands.

"Would… would you mind if I asked you a question?" she asked him. "It… it was just something I was curious about…"

"Sure," Reggie said. "Go ahead. I don't mind."

"Okay… So, um, who is this Dawn?" she asked, trying to sound as casual as she could. Reggie turned around, giving her an odd look. Her face reddened as the blood rushed to her cheeks.

"Y-you thought I was this Dawn when I first came here?" she stammered, clarifying. "A-and Paul called me the name by accident one time… And Paul he seems sort of… I-I was just curious…" Her blush deepened, and she looked away sheepishly.

Reggie nodded in understanding, still frowning somewhat. He turned away from her, walking over to the fridge and reaching in to pull out some vegetables and other ingredients for the dinner he would be cooking.

"So, um, do you mind telling me who she is?" she asked after a minute of silence.

What would Reggie say about her? Would he have good things to say about her, or only bad considering she was the girlfriend who "cheated" on his little brother? She bit her lip anxiously, and soon enough the salty tang of blood began to fill her mouth. She licked her lip, her cheeks heating up some.

"Oh, yeah… Dawn…" Reggie hesitated, his frown deepening as he turned once more to look at her. She froze. Did he suspect anything? She breathed a sigh of relief when he continued. "She was Paul's last girlfriend… his longest lasting girlfriend…"

"_Was?" _she queried innocently.

"She's his ex now."

"Oh." There was moment of silence. "So they broke up, huh?" she said.

Reggie nodded. "A shame too. She really was a sweet girl. I honestly thought she could have been the one for my dear little brother. They just seemed so right for each other."

"So what happened between them?" she asked, then quickly added, "If you don't mind telling me. I don't mean to be snoopy; I'm just sort of curious about this."

"She cheated on him." Reggie responded simply, starting to dice some carrots he took out.

Dawn felt her fist clench and already she could feel tears pricking her eyes. "Oh… well… that must… suck." She forced her voice to remain steady; she forced herself to breath in and out, in and out.

Reggie stopped his dicing for a moment to look at her. "She looked a lot like you." He told her. "Blue hair, the same shade as yours; only hers was longer. And she also had the same blue eyes."

"Weird…" she mumbled.

Reggie nodded and then turned back to the carrots he was dicing.

"So how did Paul take the breakup?" she asked, this time out of real curiosity.

"He tries to seem indifferent about it," Reggie responded. "As if he doesn't care that they're over, or that she cheated on him…" She frowned, and she again blinked back the water beginning to form again in her eyes. "But I know he does care. He keeps himself well-guarded, but I've been his brother now for eighteen years, and I can tell when something's bothering him. And I can tell that he is reminded of her every time he looks at you… and I can tell it hurts him…"

A lump began to grow in the back of Dawn's throat, truly taken off guard by this statement. She was unaware of the silence that filled the room when the shower turned off. The sound of her heart pounding against her chest was all she could hear aside from Reggie's voice.

Suddenly, Reggie turned back around, and his black eyes, eyes that were the same color of his brother's, began to bore into hers.

"It may be hard to believe, with Paul being Paul and all, but even he has a heart and even he can get hurt," Reggie told her. "Even the strongest pokémon has a weakness. And in Paul's case, his weakness was the one person he loved."

Dawn's heart jumped at those words, and for a moment her head spun, dizzy with shock.

"L-love?" she croaked. Was he talking about her?

She felt faint suddenly, and she was positive it wasn't due to the fact the only thing she had that day was two Rockstar drinks and half a serving of chicken salad. She clasped the cool marble counter to make sure she wouldn't fall off the stool.

Reggie's eyes continued to bore into hers. "I truly believe Paul loved her," he told her. "And I believe he still does. But I don't want him to get hurt again. I don't want anyone to get hurt again."

Dawn just remained quiet, her mouth dry as Reggie's words sunk into her brain. Finally, she spoke, "I… I'm sorry for what happened to him…" she told him, her words sounding like a jumbled mess to her as she spoke. "That must have been terrible… finding out his girlfriend was cheating on him…" _Even though she never was…_

Reggie just smiled, chuckling to himself.

Just at that moment, she heard a door open, and a few moments later, she saw Paul's surprised face at the end of the staircase.

"DeeDee?" he said. He turned to his brother. "What is she doing here?" he asked him, crossing his arms.

Usually, she would have gotten annoyed at him for not asking _her_ that question, but after that conversation with Reggie, she didn't feel up to being getting angry at Paul for something so small and pointless.

"I'm here to work on our project, so we don't get behind on it," she told him quietly, her voice the softest he had ever heard, for once not loud and full of anger for something he said or did; she knew he was surprised too by the way his arms fell to his side and he blinked.

She smiled at him; it was a forced smile though. She wondered if he could tell it was forced. Nonetheless, whether he knew it was forced or not, he still looked surprised.

"Lets go in my room then," he said after a moment of hesitation.

"Okay," she agreed, starting up the staircase. He followed behind her, and she could tell he was watching her suspiciously. She tried her best not to feel uneasy under his gaze, but after what Reggie just told her, it was hard not to feel uneasy.

As soon as the door shut behind them, he turned to her. "Okay, what's with you?" he demanded immediately. She blinked innocently, forcing herself to smile even wider

"Nothing," she answered, trying to ignore the way it felt as if her heart was pounding against her chest, and how it still felt as if she had swallowed a tennis ball.

It was obvious Paul still didn't believe her.

Casually she turned her gaze elsewhere, acting as if she was surveying his room, although she had been his neat-as-ever room many times before where there was never really much to look at. She couldn't bear to meet his gaze.

"DeeDee."

_Don't call me that, _she thought.

She turned to him. "Yeah?" Before he could reply, she interrupted him. "So are we going to work on the project or not, hmm? We're sort of behind you know. We haven't really done much."

"I worked on my report last night," Paul responded flatly, shoving his hands in his pockets. At this casual move, she suddenly realized he still had the exact same jacket from last year. "I'm more than half way done with it."

"Oh… Well, that's good!" she told him cheerfully, her smile broadening. She saw Paul's jaw clench together at her cheerful exclamation, his fist clenching together at his side.

"Would you quit doing that!" he hissed.

She frowned. "Doing what?"

He glared at her but remained silent. Then Dawn understood what he meant.

_Quit being like Dawn!_

She winced, but continued on smiling.

Silent cloaked at them as they stared at each other—well, as Paul stared at her while she continued pretending to study the wall, acting as if his lingering stare didn't unnerve her—for what felt like hours to Dawn.

"Paul…?" There was silence. Slowly, she turned towards him. "What?" he said at the exact same time. She bit the inside of her cheek, not sure how to approach the subject.

"Reggie…" She found herself staring at his face. It looked the same as it had months ago, back when she still dating him, back before all the drama had prom happened. Angular face, haunting eyes the color of coal, lavender bangs falling messily in his face. Staring at his face, she had a sudden urge to brush his damp bangs away from his forehead. Her finger twitched and she breathed a soft sigh.

"What about him?" Paul asked, sounding annoyed as he waited for her to continue.

She gazed at him for another few seconds before looking away.

_Just say it, _she ordered herself.

"Reggie told me about Dawn," she said as flatly as she could, crossing her arms in front of her chest. Was there a breeze in the room? She shivered, pulling on the sleeves of her gray and black long-sleeved shirt so it covered her hands.

"He told me she was your ex-girlfriend," she continued on determinedly turning back to face him. She would have thought he was okay with Reggie telling her all about Dawn if it wasn't for the way his jaws were clenched together, and his fists were balled up as he folded his arms over his chest.

"What else did he tell you?" he asked, obviously forcing the words between his teeth. She hesitated.

"He told me she… _cheated_ on you," she responded, having to take a deep breath before saying the last three words.

"And that's all?" he pressed. She nodded after a moment of hesitation.

"Yes." She looked away from him as she told this lie.

"Did you ask him who she was or did he just tell you himself?"

She bit her lip, not sure how answer this question. She didn't want to admit she had asked about her, bur… she didn't want to get Reggie in trouble with brother, especially when it was her who had asked.

"I asked," she responded after a minute of silence. "I was curi—"

"Mind your own damn business."

She turned to him and blinked, shocked. "Excuse me?" she said, astonished.

"I said," Paul repeated what he said through ground teeth. "Mind your own damn business. Quit trying to get into something that doesn't concern you. What happened to me in the past, is none of your concern, so keep out my business. Got it?" He said these words with such coldness for a minute or two she was speechless.

_None… of my… business? _She repeated his words in her head, over and over again. Suddenly anger overcame her.

"What gives you the right to tell me what to do?" she very nearly screamed, a vein popping in her forehead. She could tell by the way Paul was glaring at that he was just getting more and more pissed off.

"Keep out of my business," he repeated again in a growl.

"You can't tell me what to do!" she yelled, stomping her foot defiantly. She glared at him, her eyes blazing with rage. "I have a right to know!"

"No, you don't," Paul growled back. "Now either shut the eff up or get out my—"

"How are you so certain she cheated on you?" she demanded.

"Get out of my—"

"Answer the question!"

"I don't have t—"

"How are you so certain she cheated on you?" she asked again, this time taking a step towards him. "How are you so certain she cheated on you and it wasn't just a misunderstanding?"

Paul continued to glare at her, but he finally responded back to her query, "You weren't there. You don't know what happened."

_Yes, I do! _

She wanted to say that, but she knew better not to.

"But how are you so certain she cheated on you?" she persisted. "Did you even let her explain herself?" she asked, already knowing the answer. "Did you let her tell her side of the story?"

Paul's eyes hardened as he glared at her. "No, I didn't," he said. "And I didn't need to. I saw her with the guy. Everybody saw her with him. I didn't need her side of the story. It would be useless to know her side of the story because it would just be lies."

"How would you know?" she asked. "How would you know what she's saying is just a bunch of lies? And how can you just assume that?"

"How can you come up with so many statements that begins with 'how'," he shot back, looking more annoyed than angry now. "When somebody gets caught doing something they shouldn't be doing, they make up stories. They tell lies. I know that. I've gone out with enough girls to know this by now. The excuses are always the same. They try to make themselves sound like the victim, hoping I'll give them another chance, but I never do. I'm not stupid enough to fall for the little tales they make up."

"But what if she really wasn't cheating on you?" she asked him.

"She was cheating on me," Paul said flatly, his eyes hardening again. "End of story. Now if you're not going to—"

"You don't know whether or not she was cheating on you," she murmured. She saw Paul's eyebrow twitch in annoyance from interrupting him once again. "You can say she is, you can say you know, but you don't, do you? No. I know you don't know."

"You don't know anything about what happened," he responded coldly back.

She laughed, a smile forming on her face.

"Actually no, Paul, _you_ don't," she said.

_You know what happened that night, at prom, but that's all you know… everything else, you just assumed._

Paul looked annoyed at this statement. "Whatever," he said. "It doesn't matter anymore anyway. I haven't seen her since the night we broke up. And I doubt I'll ever see her again, so it doesn't matter. Just forget about it. Stop bringing it up."

She was silent for a moment.

"Fine," she agreed. "But first—" She saw Paul scowl. "I wanna know one more thing."

"So do I," Paul sneered back. "Why do you even give a shit about my love life with this girl?"

She stared him straight in the die. "Did you love her?"

"What?" he said, obviously thinking her misheard or something.

She continued to stare him straight in the eyes. "Did you love her?" she demanded. "Did you love Dawn Berlitz?"

A frown came upon Paul's face and he began to shift uncomfortably in his place. "No… I didn't…" he said, drawing out his words slowly. Dawn felt her face drop at this and her arms, previously crossed sternly across her chest, fell to her sides.

"Oh. Okay," she said.

_Stupid. So stupid._

"Well, I'm going to go now," she said. "Bye."

"Wait, you're going? What about the project—"

"Another day," she said

_Why had she believed Reggie? She was so_—

"Denial…"

"Huh?"

Dawn was surprised when she saw Reggie, and there he was, standing in the doorway of the room that was across from Paul's.

"He's in denial…he just can't admit it…" Reggie continued muttering to himself. "And he can't see… he just can't see she is—"

"Reggie?"

The purple-haired man's head snapped up, and his eyes widened as he saw her. "D-DeeDee!" he exclaimed, laughing sheepishly. "I didn't see you there! When did you…?"

"I… I just exited Paul's room a few moments ago," She narrowed her eyes at him. "I'm going to be going home now. I don't want to be trekking out in the cold when it's dark out, ya know?"

Reggie nodded, giving a short laugh. "Yeah, I understand. Well, I'll see you around I guess!"

"Definitely," she said. "Bye."

"Come again soon, Dawn!" Reggie called after her.

* * *

She was being pressed against a wall, her wrists pinned to the wall like her body was pinned to the wall by a larger, muscular body. She could feel his lips on hers, and she felt dizzy with exhilaration as she pressed her lips back to his.

She knew who it was. She knew whose lips were on hers, whose lips she was kissing. Maybe that's why it felt as if there was a tiny hole in her heart that was filling her with a mix of joy and despair.

She knew who it was, but she didn't care. She enjoyed the taste of his lips against hers, even though in reality, she was tasting nothing since this was all just a dream anyway. She loved the way he was dominating over her, having her pinned to the wall. She enjoyed the feel of his hands tracing her curves, and the way his bangs fell messily on his forehead. She loved it like she had loved it when it was real. When it wasn't a dream.

Suddenly, his kisses became rougher and rougher, and they began causing her pain. She tried to pull back, but she was already pinned to the wall. She couldn't breathe. Still, he continued to kiss her, his lips like cement against hers. She realized she was suffocating.

Finally, he pulled back and when he did, he glared into her eyes. Dawn tried to back away again, scared by the intensity in his eyes, but found that she was still pinned between him and the wall.

"_P-Paul…" _she whimpered.

He didn't respond. His lips smashed onto hers once more, and this time she closed her eyes, willing herself to wake up. She immediately wished she hadn't closed her eyes because images and voices began to bombard her.

"_We're through."_

"_You're breaking up with me?"_

_..._

"_Oh yeah? If he's not just another boyfriend of yours, then why are you always being seen with him, huh? Why do I always see you with him?"_

The image of him angry at her was too painful. She wanted to open her eyes, but she couldn't. She could still feel Paul's rough lips against hers. She felt blood ooze from her lip and trickle down her chin while tears trickled down her cheeks.

"_Looks like not everybody thinks you're so perfect now."_

"_I don't think I'm perfect! I know I'm not perfect! I have flaws, I make mistakes, I'm human, for Pete's sake! But Paul, I swear to you, I did not—"_

"_Cheat on me? I doubt that. You haven't exactly given me any reason to believe otherwise!"_

"_Paul—!"_

_Did he not hear her? Why was he continuing on like this, breaking her heart?_

"_Paul—!"_

_Did he like watching her suffer? Was he maybe suffering himself? Why… why was he making her suffer? _

_She didn't do anything wrong… Why couldn't he see that?_

"_You're pathetic… And you still can't come up with any excuses for why you're a cheating whore? But then again, there really are no excuses for being one."_

Tears were running freely down her face, blood from her torn lip running down her chin while her lip throbbed in pain. She still couldn't breathe. She was suffocating. Paul… he was suffocating her. She tried fighting back, kicking, thrashing, but he was too strong. His lips remained on hers, moving passionately against her still lips as she struggled to escape his clutches.

Can't breathe… Can't breathe…

"_Whore!"_

"_Slut!"_

"_Hooker!"_

She could hear the voices again, but this time it was only Paul's voice she heard. It was him calling her names. The tears came faster and she sobbed uncontrollably.

Now it was her voice she could hear. But it was just a thought of hers she heard, not spoken words.

_I would do anything for you…_

I broke for you.

_I don't want to leave you…_

But I left you anyway.

_I love you, Paul…_

But you don't love me.

"_I love you… I love you… I love you…" _She kept whispering the words over and over again to him, but he said nothing. He didn't feel the same way. He didn't love her. He had just used her. She was nothing to him.

"_I love you… I love you… I love you…"_

Or do you…? Do you love me?

Finally, she opened her eyes and the last thing she saw before blacking out from lack of air was Paul's beautiful face, tears streaming down his face as he finally freed her wrists from his strong grip.

"_I love you…"_

* * *

There was no school Monday or Tuesday due to them being snow days, so the next time she saw Paul, which was at school, was Wednesday.

"Looks like Ami is flirting with Paul again," Leona commented as they got the books needed from their lockers in the hallway.

Glancing over her shoulder, she could see the all the way on the other side of the lockers. Paul was leaning uninterestedly against his locker, his arms folded across his chest, his expression blank, as Ami blabbered enthusiastically to him.

Dawn stared at them for a few moments, memories from Friday when she was down Paul's house filling her mind once more. Her grip on the locker door tightened.

"_Even the strongest pokémon has a weakness. And in Paul's case, his weakness was the one person he loved." _

"_I truly believe Paul loved her," he told her. "And I believe he still does. But I don't want him to get hurt again. I don't want anyone to get hurt again."_

"_Did you love her?" she demanded. "Did you love Dawn Berlitz?" _

"_No… I didn't…"_

"_He's in denial…he just can't admit it…" _

"So you're wearing skirts again, huh?" Leona's commented.

Dawn glanced at her friend since childhood through the corner of her eyes then turned her gaze down to the outfit she was wearing that day which included a short black mini-skirt with fishnets and black knee-high boots. Her upper-half consisted of a tight ash gray graphic tee with a piplup present on the front.

"Just part of the outfit I put together today." She shrugged. "Although I imagine Ami will give me hell about it later for deciding to wear a skirt when it's snowing outside." She gave a small smile.

Leona rolled her eyes, grinning. "Like her booty shorts are much better." She snorted. "Look at her: she's still hopelessly pursuing Paul. I wonder what her reaction would be if you actually told her you _dated_ him."

Dawn rolled her eyes, slamming her locker door shut.

"I imagine she would just call me a liar and then stick up her pretty your nose at me," she laughed. Leona laughed too as they passed Paul who was now standing alone as Ami finally gave up on trying to talk to the stony plum-haired man.

Dawn could feel Paul's gaze following her as she walked. She slowed her pace. A cold breeze passed her as a group of kids pushed through the school's front door.

"_Why does she have to look so much like her?" _

Was that him who said that? Did she hear right?

She turned around, but found he was no longer leaning against his locker, that familiar lavender color lost in the crowd of a thousand other students.

"_Why does she have to look so much like her?" _

_.x._

_How much longer can you go on bending  
__When your heart is still mending?  
__You're burning yourself out with the heat  
__One day you're gonna drop in defeat  
__It's happening again at an impossible velocity  
__How much longer can you conduct the electricity?  
__You're a showstopper  
__You're not copper_

* * *

**Okay, first off, I am SOOO sorry for the late update! D: I hope you all can forgive me! Unfortunately, I had a writer's block for weeks and didn't recover until just yesterday (or Saturday), and even then it was only after reading…DUN DUN DUN, "Just Listen" by Sarah Dessen (which you may recall Dawn mentioning doing her book report on). That book is amazing. Seriously. If you haven't read it already, go read it. Now. It is so amazing I read it in less than 24 hours. XD; It was great inspiration for this chapter, and this whole story actually, too because it's sort of similar in a few ways. You could probably guess how if you actually read the book. :P**

**ANYWAYS, enough of my blabbering. 8D; ****Not the best chapter I ever wrote, but it's decent. I like it. XD. Also there will be spoilers for "Just Listen" next chapter. Or some chapter. Maybe. Just a warning. :P**

**QUESTIONS: (you can answer/ignore/etc.)  
****1. The dream Dawn had this chapter is the exact same one Dawn had in chapter 11 right before she found out Paul moved in to the old Duncan's house, except for a few differences. Can any of you guys find the differences between the second version and the original version?  
****2. Why do you think is Paul asking himself, _"Why does she have to look so much like her?"  
_****3. What did you think of the conversation between Dawn and Reggie this chapter?  
****4. Predictions for next chapter?**

**and...**

**NEXT CHAPTER:  
*****Dawn will run into somebody from her past (AKA someone from Veilstone).  
*****Somebody will go to homecoming.  
*Somebody will have somewhat of a breakdown.  
*****Somebody will have a sense of d****éjà vu.****  
*****Somebody will find out the truth about "DeeDee's" identity.  
**

**Sorry for any mistake! I still need to correct this chapter! If you see a mistake, whether it's a spelling or grammar one, just tell me! Please! And my next update will HOPEFULLY be in two weeks! I wanna get back to updating every two weeks again, haha. xD;**


	14. Radon

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **AU. Part 2: Platinum. She is the diamond that broke; he is the pearl that longs to be someone else. They were platinum, but they couldn't take the heat. Both were hurt and betrayed, but perhaps a second chance in Twinleaf can set things right. Ikarishipping!

_**PART TWO**_—**_Platinum_**

**Chapter Fourteen**

"Leona, I don't want to…"

"Too bad."

"_Leeeonaaaa!"_

"Stop whining. It'll be over before you know it."

"_Leeeonaaa!"_

"No. We're going to do this, Dawn. We're already almost there anyways, so you might as well stop complaining because I am NOT turning back now! Going to homecoming won't kill you. And neither will going back to Veilstone for just a few hours."

"But Leona," Dawn whined. "What if I see somebody from my high school again? What will they think? What will I do?"

"Just hide in the dressing room, or behind a rack of dresses," her friend responded with a shrug. "Not like it matters if you run into them again anyways, right? You'll only be in Veilstone again for an hour or two and then you'll be leaving and you won't ever see them again."

"But _stillll_," Dawn grumbled, pressing her cheek up against the window. She cringed as she saw a billboard up ahead displaying the city's name in big red flashy letters.

VEILSTONE CITY.

The city whose teenagers had hearts that resembled the meteorites that littered the city's landscape…

"Oh good! There's the mall!" Leona said cheerfully, pulling into the huge lot. They drove past a few of the Mall's departments before Leona finally parked the car in a parking lot near _Tweens & Drama Queens_.

"They have a lot of good dresses here," Leona told her. "I went here last year to get my prom dress… I just went to this one small dress shop in Sandgem to get my dresses for homecoming and the Winter Formal."

Dawn stared up at the tall building about one-hundred feet away.

"This has some nice dresses," she commented lightly, remembering a time when her and May were window-shopping together. "But I always went to _Diamonds and Pearls_ to find a dress for some formal dance."

Leona rolled her eyes, grinning. "Figures. You go to the big, fancy shop to find a dress." She laughed, climbing out of the car. "You coming?"

Dawn sighed, also climbing out of the car. "Well, I'm not going to wait in this car for three hours while you go shopping."

Leona punched her arm, grinning. "It won't take _that_ long!"

Dawn smiled. "We'll see."

A few moments later they entered the store.

Dawn could see not much had changed since the last time she entered this store which she remembered was right before Prom. The store still had rows and rows of dresses of all colors, shades, shapes, and designs. The store was filled with chatter from other teenage girls searching for the perfect dress for some occasion; luckily Dawn could see no one she knew yet.

"Oooh!" Leona's eyes lit up as she immediately spotted a pale green halter-neck dress. She picked up one of the dresses, checked the size tag, draped it over her arm, and moved on to another dress that she found cute.

"C'mon, Dawn! There's some really cute dresses over here!" Leona called, already picking up her third dress.

Sighing, Dawn followed her friends, her eyes looking over the numerous dresses that filled the racks on the left side of the store, trying to seem as indifferent as possible as she did so. She did so with difficulty though, a grin already threatening to overtake her face as she spotted the _cutest_ black dress being modeled on a mannequin.

"I know you want it…" Leona whispered from behind Dawn, causing the blunette to jump.

"Leona!" Dawn cried, glaring at the brunette. Leona just giggled, smiling sheepishly.

"Just saying," she giggled. "You should try it on with a few other dresses that you like, and then choose the one you think you look best in. That's how I choose my dresses."

Turning her glare away from Leona, she began to scan the various rows of dresses.

…

Oh, why not?

Like Leona said, it's not like she was really going to run into somebody who went to her old high school. Veilstone is the third biggest city in Sinnoh with almost a population of about one million, maybe a little less. What were the chances?

Smiling, she finally caved into her inner-girly girl side, and began to snatch several cute dresses she spotted off the rack.

_.o.o.o._

After much consideration, Dawn had narrowed the dresses she was considering wearing for homecoming to four dresses: a loose silver halter-neck dress perfect for dancing, a sparkly black halter-neck dress, a pretty plain white dress with a huge bow in the back, and a strapless turquoise and black dress that hugged Dawn's small curves perfectly.

Leona had already picked out her dress: a cute strapless and pale green dress that reached to just above her knees with a v-shaped neckline. Leona had also picked out a cheap but pretty rhinestone necklace and strappy silver heels to go with the dress.

"Which one do you think I should get?" Dawn queried, still modeling in the turquoise-colored dress.

"I like that dress," Leona said immediately. "It would look great with some fingerless fishnet gloves and some cute black high heels!"

After studying herself one last time in the mirror, she smiled. She really liked the dress too.

"Do you think—" She stopped suddenly, and blushed.

Leona raised an eyebrow. "Do I think what?" she asked, folding her arms across the crème-colored shirt she was currently wearing.

Dawn opened her mouth as if to speak, but then shook her head, offering Leona a small smile. "Never mind. It's… it's nothing."

"_DeeDeeeee," _Leona stretched the nickname, smirking playfully. "C'mon; just ask whatever you were gonna ask. I won't laugh. I promise."

"Like I said it's nothing," she responded. "It's just… I was wondering if maybe you think…" She blushed again, and she turned away from her friend. "If… if you think Paul would like this dress…"

"Paul?" Leona snorted, frowning somewhat. "Who cares what he think? I don't. And you shouldn't either Dawn after what he did to you."

Dawn felt her blush darken and she laughed sheepishly. "Yeah, you're right. Who cares what he thinks? I like this dress, and that's all that matters." After a moment of consideration, she added, "And I'm going to get this dress too."

"That's my girl," Leona said, smiling. "Now go get dressed in your regular clothes. I'll go find you those gloves and heels I was talking about."

"Okay," Dawn agreed, entering a stall.

A few minutes later she reemerged again, wearing the same long-sleeved blue graphic t-shirt that fell off her shoulders, revealing a white tank underneath, and the denim capris she wore that morning.

After hanging up all the other dresses except the turquoise dress she was going to get on the rack outside the dressing room, she started to head out for the accessory section of _Tweens & Drama Queens_. She was only walking for about thirty seconds, turquoise dress slung over one arm, when a shocked voice called from behind her.

"Dawn?"

She should have kept walking. Her mind knew that instantly, but her body had another idea in mind when she stopped and slowly turned towards the voice.

_Stupid. _She thought instantly.

_I should have kept walking…_

But it was too late now. Her eyes connected with shocked ebony eyes as she watched a grin spread across her childhood friend's face.

"Dawn! It really is you!" he exclaimed. Before Dawn even had a chance to blink – or protest – Kenny ran at her, full charge, and enveloped her in a big bear hug. As Kenny hugged her, it felt as if her insides were being squished.

"K-Kenny!" she gasped, unable to breathe. "You're… squishing… me!"

Releasing her, Kenny laughed, scratching the back of his head sheepishly. "Oops, sorry DeeDee! I guess I just got overexcited."

Dawn bit her fists clench subconsciously as he said her nickname. Turning her eyes away from Kenny's own overly eager eyes, she bit the inside of her cheek. A cold feeling swept over her, leaving her stomach feeling strangely tingly and her eyes somewhat moist.

"Hey, Dawn, are you okay?" Kenny asked suddenly, sounding concerned.

"I'm fine," she responded back immediately. After taking a few quick breaths, and blinking until her eyes were dry, she turned to face Kenny, making sure she would be able to keep her composure being doing so. "I'm perfect. Why?"

Kenny said nothing, his eyebrows furrowed together and a frown painted his lips, confusion evident in his eyes. "I didn't know you still lived in Veilstone. Everybody thought… Paul thought…"

Again, subconsciously, she clenched her fists, and she bit her tongue.

_Please don't say his name… Please don't bring him up… Please, Kenny, don't._

"He moved, you know…"

"Who?" She immediately wanted to smack herself after saying the word.

"Paul," Kenny responded. "He moved to Twinleaf."

She said nothing after this.

"So where do you live now?"

"Not here," she responded. After another moment, she added, "I'm just here to pick out a dress… for my homecoming… its coming up soon…"

"Oh."

Silence.

And then…

"You shouldn't have moved just because things got a little out of control at prom."

"I didn't move because of what happened at prom," she snapped back, irritated by Kenny's choice of words. "I was already going to move! My mom was getting remarried, and so we were going to move in with her boyfriend and his son."

Kenny frowned. "So…you didn't run away…?"

"Run away?" she snorted. "Of course not!"

Kenny's frown deepened. "Dawn, listen… you're not still upset are you? About prom, I mean?"

Her glare softened as she met Kenny's gaze and she looked away. "Upset? About prom?" she said quietly. "Am I still upset that everybody at Veilstone hates me pretty much and think I'm nothing more than a cheating slut? Am I still upset that my boyfriend dumped me in front of everybody and literally humiliated me? Am I still upset that all my closest friends also hate me and dumped me as their friend because I'm just that lousy of a person?"

"Dawn—" Kenny started, his voice soft.

"No," She shook her head. "Forget about it. I'm over it. I don't need them." Her eyes hardened. "I don't need anybody. I'm perfectly fine on my own. I'm stronger now, Kenny."

She brushed pass her childhood friend, and not looking back, she called over her shoulder, "And you can tell Paul that the next time you see him. Tell him I'm stronger and I don't need him now."

And with those words out in the air, she walked away, leaving Kenny to his own thoughts.

It wasn't until the car ride home she started to wonder why Kenny recognized her instantly while Paul still believed she was somebody else entirely.

* * *

Paul was staring out the window when his cellphone rang, watching dark rain clouds drift across the ashen sky, his mind blank. He allowed the phone to ring its full course once; when the phone started ringing again, only a few seconds later, he finally decided to pick up his cell phone which laid on the small dresser next to his bed. Checking the caller ID, he saw that for once it wasn't Barry calling; it was Kenny.

"What?" he grumbled as he picked up the phone, annoyed that the tranquil atmosphere in his room had been disrupted by his cell phone's loud ring tone.

"_I saw her…"_ Kenny said softly, his voice sounding oddly distant, as if he wasn't talking to anybody at all.

"Saw who?" Paul questioned uninterestedly, folding an arm behind his head as he leaned against his bed's headboard.

"_Her…"_

Paul scowled, annoyed. "Who, Zoey?"

"_No!" _Kenny snapped on the other end of the phone. _"I saw Dawn today!"_

For a moment it felt as if the world froze.

"What?" Paul sputtered, shocked.

He saw Dawn? Did that mean she still lived in Veilstone?

"_She was at the mall today, buying a dress for some homecoming dance of hers or something,"_ Kenny explained quickly, his words tumbling out of his mouth like a waterfall. _"I talked to her for a few minutes."_

Paul was about to ask what they talked about, but then he stopped himself. What did he care? He could care less about Dawn and anything that had to do with her.

"_She was kind of different looking,"_ Kenny went on, his voice still sounding distant. _"I mean, she still looked the same except for a few minor changes, but… there was just something about her that was different. I don't know how you explain it. It's like she looked…stronger. Not physically, just…in spirit. Or something."_

"And I should care about this why?" Paul asked, sounding annoyed. "I don't care if you saw her again. She means nothing to me."

"But she once meant something to you…" Kenny murmured quietly. "And don't try to deny that she didn't once mean something to you because I know she did once. That's why you went out with her."

Paul said nothing as he glared up at the ceiling, an annoyed scowl on his face.

"_She's a different person Paul…"_

"And again, I should care why?"

"_Are you certain she cheated on you Paul?" _Kenny questioned suddenly. For a moment, Paul was reminded of DeeDee. She had asked him a similar question once.

"Yes, I'm certain!" he snorted. "I saw her with that guy!"

"_But I just can't imagine Dawn cheating on anyone, ever. She hated cheaters because she've been cheated on so many times before too…" _Kenny murmured.

"Which shows she's not just a cheater, but she's also a hypocrite," Paul responded coldly back.

Kenny sighed, and Paul could hear the exasperation in his voice as he said, _"Listen, Paul. It's not that I believe you made this up or anything, but I just don't think Dawn would cheat on you. You meant everything to her, Paul. Honestly, I think her cheating on you was just a big misunderstanding."_

Paul was about to respond angrily back, but before he could, he cut him off. _"Anyway, I gotta go now. Talk to you later." _Before Paul even had a chance to respond, there was a _beep! _and the phone went dead.

Paul threw the phone to the floor, a scowl painted on his face as he folded his arms behind his head as he laid on his bed.

"It was not a misunderstanding!" he growled, glaring up at the ceiling. He glared up at the ceiling for a few more minutes, his mind buzzing angrily, before he finally sighed and swung his legs off his bed, accidentally knocking some books off the nightstand by his bed.

"Shit!" Paul cursed, grabbing the books that fell off and putting them in place. He grumbled curses under his breath, but then fell silence when he saw the words printed on one of the book's cover.

_Diamonds and Pearls._

Underneath those words was _'The 2010 Veilstone High School yearbook edition'_, written in neat, cursive letters. On the cover were pictures of neatly cut diamonds and a pearl necklace.

Paul stared at the cover for a moment, his mind no longer buzzing. He remembered receiving the yearbook on the last day of school, the exact same he found out about Dawn moving. He remembered he had been too piss to look at the yearbook, and had just jammed it between some books on his bookshelf before packing it to take to Twinleaf.

Carefully, he opened the book, now staring at the table of contents.

Opening - 2  
Seniors - 15  
Sports - 61  
Juniors - 110  
Sophomores - 164  
Activities - 200  
Freshmen - 232  
Academics - 255  
Senior Ads - 275

After staring at the table of contents for a while, he turned to page 61. The cover page showed the word _Sports_ written in big blocky letters that was suppose to look as if they were made of diamonds. The page also showed snapshots of all kinds students playing all kinds of sports. Turning to the next page, they showed the football team, followed by girls' tennis, girls' volleyball, and basketball for guys and then for girls, soccer for guys then girls, wrestling, etc., etc.

Just on page 108, the page before the Juniors section of the book, they finally showed the cheerleaders of Veilstone High School. Immediately Paul's eyes landed on just one specific cheerleader: Dawn.

He saw there were at least three pictures of her on the page. She was in the front row of a group shot of all the cheerleaders, gold clips in her hair, a huge smile on her face. In another picture she was top of a pyramid they were doing, being supported by Tammy and some other girl he didn't know. Again, she she was smiling hugely, her eyes bright, her hair in a ponytail in this shot, gold clips still in place. The last picture he could see of her included an interview they had done with her since she was the cheer captain. Like in all the other pictures she was in, she was smiling. Her hair was down in this picture, and she was looking away from the camera, her eyes staring off to the side, focused on something – or someone – else.

Briefly, Paul began to wonder when she did this interview. He started to read the interview.

Q & A with cheer captain, Dawn Berlitz.

Q. So how does it feel to be the first Junior cheer captain at VHS?  
A. "Great! It's really rewarding, especially considering how hard I've work these past years trying to achieve this position."  
Q. So what is your favorite thing about cheerleading?  
A. "Coming up with new routines. Although it can also be a pain doing sometimes, especially when you have other homework you have to do."  
Q. The worst thing?  
A. "All the pressure. It can definitely get to you sometimes. Oh, and when people judge us before they even get to know us. That is what I hate the most."  
Q: So what has been your inspiration for this year?  
A. "My mom, my friends, the team, and my boyfriend, Paul. They've all been great and supportive, each in their own way. They inspire me to keep on being a cheerleader and to do the best I can!"

Looking at Dawn's last answer, Paul realized his question had been answered.

She did the interview sometime when they were still dating.

Shaking his head, he turned to page 200, deciding to look at the Activities section next. The activities cover page was identical to the sports page. Turning the page, they showed the trainers section. There was a groupshot of the many trainers of Veilstone High School. In the front row he could see him, Ash, and Gary. He was also aware of another picture of him on the page, an interview he had done with Kimberlee below the picture. He flipped to the next page.

_Coordinators, Contests, & Flashy Moves_

Immediately, Paul's eyes landed on Dawn, her face somehow sticking out to him amongst all the other faces featured in the group shot. In that picture she was wearing a black tank top with a short-sleeved plaid shirt and blue jean shorts, and like always, she was wearing that diamond D-shaped necklace. In this picture she looked just ordinary, like any other person. Paul knew that wasn't the case though; in this picture she was still the "diamond" of the school.

Paul glanced at the right page and saw on the upper third of the page there was a again another picture of her, her back turned to the camera, her typhlosion out in front of her as it performed a fire move, flame wheel by the look of it. Meanwhile her opponent (Zoey) on the other side was commanding her Glameow who was also getting ready to perform an attack.

Scowling in annoyance, he flipped through the other pages.

Pokémon Photography class, Breeder's Class, Pokémon Watching class, Pokémon Specialty class (water, fire, grass, etc.), etc. As they started to show other clubs and classes that didn't really involve pokémon, he saw another picture of Dawn. This one was the Pokémon Stylist Club, a club he wasn't even aware she was ever in. But there she was, that annoyingly perfect smile on her face like always, looking perfect and carefree as she posed with the other club members, wearing a bright red tank top with a dark denim mini-skirt, her hands behind her back. Again, looking ordinary, as if she was just like everybody else.

He glared at her pictures for a few moments, wondering how many more pictures she was in.

He flipped the book to a random page, and just his luck, he flipped the yearbook to page 112, the same page Dawn's school picture was on. Her kind smile glared back at him, and glaring at the picture, he noticed she still looked as ordinary as everyone else, gold clips in her hair, wearing a white tank top with a laced trim on the top and what appeared to be a black cardingan.

If someone was to point her out to their mom or dad, saying "She's the diamond of the school", the parent's response would likely just be, "She doesn't look special to me". That was what was frustrating Paul most about all the pictures she was in. She wasn't ordinary. She was the _diamond of the school._ Everybody loved her. Everybody looked up to her. She was nice, beautiful, special. But these pictures just made her look ordinary, as if she wasn't all these things and more.

Or at least, all the things she _use_ to be up until…

Paul shook his head, refusing to feel anything close to pity for his blue-haired ex. Trying to ignore the blue hair beauty present on the page, he began to scan the other pictures of last year's Juniors on the page. On the other page he saw a picture of Marina who looked the same, blue hair done in that odd fashion, wearing a pink tank top with a white jacket.

After finding Leaf's picture on the next page, and then Ash's picture, he flipped to the next page.

_Homecoming Court._

Paul stared at the words long and hard, his heart pounding in his throat, before slowly looking away and carefully studying only parts of the other pictures present on the page.

Senior Homecoming Queen and King were some guy with dark ruby red hair named Rudy and some girl named Melody who was dressed in a bright orange dress that reached to her knees. The Sophomore Prince and Princess was a brown-haired guy and the daugher of a Nurse Joy, while the Freshman Prince and Princess was this guy with blue hair who wore black-rimmed glasses named Max Maple (he guessed that May's famous "annoying, know-it-all" brother), and a girl named Brianna who reddish-brown hair and was wearing a long, strapless bright yellow dress. Reluctantly, he turned to see who the Junior Prince and Princess was.

_Drew Rosalind and Dawn Berlitz_ was written in neat cursive above the picture.

Dawn was dressed in a long strapless coral pink dress that glittered in the light she was in and hugged her body in just the right place; the dress also had a white waist band with a bow in the back. A white sash also cut across her body, the words Homecoming Court in capital gold letters. Her hair which was curled was tied in the back with a ribbon that matched her dress while long strands that fell straight framed her face. A plastic silver tiara had also been placed neatly in her hair. Meanwhile Drew simply wore a black tuxedo with a red tie.

Paul studied the picture. They were both smiling, but it was clear by how there shoulders just simply touched, unlike all the other pictures where there was more physical contact such as an arm around the waist or intertwined fingers, there was nothing going on between them.

Even so, Paul felt a feeling that was a mix of bitterness and anger churn in his stomach, soon rising like bile in his throat. Sharply, he turned the page, almost ripping the page while doing so. He was about to close the book when a picture caught his attention.

Dawn.

And him.

Immediately memories from that night began to resurface, the images in his a blur, but the very idea of what happened that night clear in his mind. He remembered the details very vividly, even the small details that he shouldn't have even remembered or cared about. It was like he was back reliving that night.

A sweet sugary-vanilla aroma filled his nose. Music blasted from all around. He was hot and sweaty due to all the bodies dancing close together. He remembered the feeling of pressure around his neck and on his chest as they danced while his arms was wrapped around a tiny waist. He could remember the warmth of her body pressed against his.

Above their page, the title was present, this page's title being called _'Memories are Pearls! Friendships are Diamonds!'_. (The song they had danced to, he could faintly recall, was called "Diamonds and Pearls" and was performed by Prince. Was that a coincidence?).

Paul closed his eyes, his grip on the book tightening.

"_Wanna dance?" she smiled playfully at him, holding her hand out._

"_This will be the day, that you will hear me say,  
That I will never run away"_

He could clearly remember the way she had stared up at him from beneath her long, dark eyelashes, a playful smile on her face as she held out her hand.

"_Shouldn't it be me asking you to dance?" he replied back._

"_I am here for you, love is meant for two  
Now tell me what you're gonna do"_

The way her smile had only grown bigger as she said this, unfazed by his indifference. Remembering it now, he could feel sweat rolling down his face, and he ran a hand through his damp locks.

Why did it suddenly feel hotter in here?

"_Then ask me to dance," she responded coolly back. "Unless you don't want to dance."_

"_If I gave you diamonds and pearls  
Would you be a happy boy or girl  
If I could I would give you the world  
But all I can do is offer you my love"_

Paul could feel a pain growing inside of him, but he couldn't detect where the pain was coming from. It wasn't a headache or a stomache. Even though now that he thought of it his head _was_ starting to hurt, and he did feel a bit queasy.

"_If I gave you diamonds and pearls…"_

"_You can give me diamonds," she took the diamond studs in her ears and threw them to the ground. They rolled on the ground and stopped right in front of Paul's feet. They sparkled in the room's dim lighting._

"_You can give me pearls," she ripped the pearl bracelet he gave her from her wrist, and the pearls fell to the ground, the pearls making clacking sounds as they hit the hard concrete floor. The sound rang loudly throughout the room._

Why were these images going through his mind?

"_Would you be a happy boy or girl?"_

"_But—" She paused, her eyes starting to water again and her voice starting to tremble. "If you can't even trust me…" _

_Just then they announced the Prom Queen and King, but Paul didn't hear who the winners were. He only heard Dawn's voice and her words. _

"…_then its better we're over," she whispered._

No, stop! Stop!

He took a raspy breath, and out of frustration, he threw the yearbook to the ground, his whole body beginning to quiver, his bangs falling messily in front of his eyes.

He knew these feelings…

"_If I could I would give you the world"_

"_I'm not cheating on you with…" she said a name, a boy's name, that he just couldn't quite recall. "…Paul, I swear!" she told him, reaching out to touch his arm. He pulled back._

"_Then why are you always with him?" he shot back. "You haven't exactly given me a reason to believe you."_

"_I'm sorry, Paul," she whispered. "I know everything may seem fishy at the moment, with everybody catching me some 'dorky blonde kid', but I promise I'm not cheating on you. I never would." She reached forward again, and this time Paul did not pull back at her touch. "I'll explain it to you someday, just… not today. Not right now."_

"_Why can't you explain it to me now?" he murmured._

_She sighed softly. "It's kind of complicated," she replied._

"_I'm sure I'll be able to keep up," he responded._

_Her eyes flicked downwards briefly and then back up to his. "I'm sorry," she said, offering a small, apologetic smile. "I just don't feel like talking about it right now. I promise I'll tell everything eventually, just not now."_

Was he…

"_But all I can do is offer you my love"_

…crying?

Images from all their nights together filled his mind. Her sweet kisses, the touch of her hand on his cheek, her unforgettable laughter, her sweet whispers as she pointed out a constellation she saw in the night sky.

Moments of perfection. Now gone forever.

* * *

Dawn wanted to say she was a truthful person. She wanted to be able to say she was honest. She wanted to be able to claim that she had never in her life told a single lie and be truthful about it, but sadly, she knew she could not. She have told so many lies.

And lately, all her eyes seemed to revolve around one certain guy.

Every time she was around Paul she felt like a big fat lie. A big fat pretender. A big fat _fake_.

And regardless of what she had told herself and others, she knew she wasn't completely over him. In fact, when she really thought about it, she realized she wasn't over him at all. But then again how could she when he still in her life? Maybe if he had never moved to Twinleaf, maybe she really would be able to claim she was over him.

Nevertheless, he still moved to Twinleaf, and she still wasn't over him. And thinking over some of Paul's latest actions and comments, she was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, Paul also wasn't over _her_.

As much as she didn't want to get her hopes up, she knew she was getting her hopes up more and more with every second she considered why he may also not be over her (he as in Dawn, not "DeeDee").

Staring at the dress folded in her lap, waiting for her to out it on, she began to recall the last dance she went to: she remembered all the chaos that unfolded at prom.

Dress - $300.

Heels - $50.

Extra Accessories - $100.

Ticket for Prom - $100.

Nearly 500dollars spent, if only for a few hours of feeling beautiful and dancing with Paul, and in the end for all the money spent, it wasn't even worth it. Nearly 500 dollars spent for her to get humiliated in front of the entire school, 500 dollars spent just for her and Paul to break up. She wished she had never even gone to prom.

Sighing, she glanced at the small clock on her dresser and saw it was a quarter until five. The dance started at six, and Leona would be picking her up in her rusty old pick-up truck sharply thirty minutes after five.

Rubbing her fingers against the dress's soft material, she wondered if Paul was going to homecoming. She recalled him saying no when she had asked him a few weeks ago. She had said she wasn't going either, but now it looked as if she was. There was a possibility he might have changed his mind, like he did when he decided to go to the Sweetheart Ball.

Her eyes lingered on the gray storm clouds outside her window for a few minutes as they drifted over Twinleaf, darkening the small town. Dawn saw a sprinkle hit her window. Another small drop of rain followed, followed by another after another. It was a light rain. For now anyways.

Suddenly a lump grew in her throat. Her hands clenched the dress in her lap, wrinkling the fabric. Memories from prom began swimming in her mind.

_No, I can't…_

Her conversation with Kenny from earlier that day flashed briefly in her mind.

"_And you can tell Paul that the next time you see him. Tell him I'm stronger and I don't need him now."_

_No, I have to… _she decided, sighing. _I have to be strong._

With that thought in mind, she entered the small bathroom that was in her bedroom, the turquoise dress slung over her arm.

_.o.o.o._

"_I think I remember those eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes  
Cause baby tonight, the DJ got us falling in love again  
Yeah, baby tonight, the DJ got us falling in love again  
So dance, dance, like it's the last, last night of your life, life" _

"Wow, the decorations looks amazing," Dawn exclaimed as she entered the gym where the dance was being held.

The dance's decorations really did look amazing. The theme for Twinleaf's homecoming this year was hidden treasures. The entire room was covered with a stone gray wallpaper. On one wall a there was a well-drawn painting of a ghost pirate ship. On another wall there was a picture of a treasure chest and a pirate with a chatot on its shoulders. Also in two corners of the room – possibly four, but Dawn couldn't see the other two corners of the room – there was a chest filled with beaded necklaces of all colors and cheap plastic rings and other "treasures" which other students were already looking through. There were also beaded necklaces on the wall where they hung on something like a small coat rack. There were also other changes that had been made to the gym to make the room pirate-like. The lights had also already been dimmed, and gray and blue lights bounced off the walls and the dance floor.

"It does," Leona agreed, grinning. "Oooh refreshments!" she exclaimed, spotting the refreshment table which was filled with snacks of all kinds and a punch bowl.

"I wonder if they have seafood this year since it's pirate-themed," Leona wondered, already pushing her way through the crowd to go see. Dawn followed after her, mumbling apologies once in a while when she accidentally bumped into someone (or they bumped into her).

Her and Leona had arrived almost an hour after the dance started, both agreeing to get dinner first, and then go to the dance. As a result, the dance floor was already packed with dancers and was hard to get through.

"I still think last year's theme was cooler," Turning around, Dawn saw Barry not too far away, speaking to Ursula who he had taken as a date. "And the decorations were way cooler too!"

"Barry, a pirate theme is way cooler than a jungle theme," Ursula snorted from beside him. "And beaded necklaces and plastic rings beat plastic poppies and roses, Barry."

Barry also snorted, waving his hand.

Dawn frowned as she watched them before shaking her head and looking away. Did they always bicker about pointless little things like what homecoming theme is better? Glancing over her shoulder again at them, she saw Barry take a white beaded necklace that were on the wall and put it on Ursula, grinning at her.

Sighing, she turned away from them again.

Despite all of her apologies to Ursula in coordinating class, Dawn knew her peach-haired rival still hated her for what happened at Veilstone. Not even being Barry's step-sister could change that fact.

_Well, it's not like she's the person who hates me, _Dawn thought bitterly.

"Mmm! These cupcakes are delicious!" Leona declared suddenly, eating a small chocolate-frosted cupcake that was dotted with gold sprinkles. "You have got to try one of these, Dawn!"

Dawn glanced at the cupcake and shook her head. "Nah… I'm still stuffed from dinner… I'll just have some punch instead." Taking one of the plastic cups stacked on the table, she grabbed the ladle in the punchbowl and filled her cup with the scarlet punch.

Just then the DJ announced that he would be playing a slow song now for any couples out there.

"_I hope you never lose your sense of wonder  
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger  
May you never take one single breath for granted  
God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed"_

Dawn watched as couples formed all around the dance floor. Girls rested their hands on their date's or boyfriend's shoulders, a twinkle in their eyes as they smiled shyly up at them. Meanwhile boys laid their hands on their date's or girlfriend's hips, a twinkle also in their eyes as they gave them a half-smile. Dawn felt loneliness creep up inside of her heart as she watched the couples move in perfect synch with each other.

"Oooh, I love this song," Leona said cheerfully from beside her.

"_I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean  
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens  
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance  
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance"_

Dawn looked down, focusing her eyes on the redness of her punch as she listened to the slow song from the snack table, feeling incredibly lonely all by herself.

_Last year at homecoming, I was homecoming queen, _she thought. _Now look at me. _

"I need to go use the restroom," Dawn told Leona. "I'll be right back."

Truth was, she didn't need to use the restroom; she just wanted to escape the sea of dancing couples and the wave of loneliness and despair that threatened to wash over her if she stood there for another second.

"Sorry," she murmured as she accidentally bumped into a dancing couple. "Oops, sorry."

She was almost to the restroom when…

"Hey, DeeDee!" A loud obnoxious voice sneered suddenly from behind her. Grimacing, Dawn turned around and saw the exact person she didn't want to see: Ami.

"What do you want?" Dawn asked, scowling as she folded her arms over her chest.

"Where's Paul?" she demanded immediately, placing both hands on her hips.

"How would I know?" she retorted back.

Rolling her eyes as if she couldn't believe she was having this conversation, she flipped her long pink hair – which was straightened, Dawn noticed for the first time that night – over her shoulder. Dawn watched as Ami studied her nails for a few seconds, exaggerating an over-exasperated sigh, and then brushed something invisible off the tight strapless mini-dress she was wearing (which also noticing for the first time, Dawn saw didn't look half-bad on Ami, the ebony dress popping against her pale skin while the hot pink waistband helped emphasized her rose-colored locks).

"You're always down his house, smart-one, you should know his plans and stuff like this," she snorted, her nose cringed as if she smelled something bad.

"Yeah, if you're down his house, you must be talking about something," one of Ami's friends – Dawn believed her name was "Belle" or something similar – sneered. "Unless… you're too busy doing something else to talk…" Dawn saw suspicion lit Belle's pale blue eyes as she considered this new option.

Ami's catlike eyes narrowed, her eyes also lighting up with suspicion. Dawn felt her cheeks heat up as she realized what they were suggesting.

"I'm only down his house so we can work on our science project," she responded back as calmly as she could, even though her insides shaking like a pokémon had used an earthquake attack inside of her. "And he said he wasn't going…"

"And that's all you do down his house?" Ami ventured further. "Just work on your project? Nothing else?"

"Ami—" Dawn hissed.

"What?" Val, one of Ami's other friends, interrupted, laughing. "She was joking around. What, do you have something to hide?"

"No! I-I—" Dawn could feel the world begin to spin around her. Music throbbed in her ears. A cold chill went down her spine. Memories from prom began to fill her mind. Screams, cruel laughter, sneers filled her ears.

Dawn squeezed her eyes shut, willing the blackness that threatened to overcome her vision away, willing the world to stop spinning around her. Again that lump in her throat rose. She forced herself to breathe through her mouth, exhaling and inhaling slowly.

Ignoring Ami's and her friends jeers, she hurried pass them, desperate to find Leona before she either fainted or vomited on the dance floor. Her head throbbed with every beat the song on the stereo played. She could now feel sweat pouring over her face and leaving sweat-stains on her dress.

Finally, she spotted Leona, over at the punchbowl.

"Leona!" she yelled weakly, stumbling over to her friend, and clasping onto her arm. Leona stared at her, shocked to see her best friend looking like such a mess.

"Dawn? What's wrong?"

"I can't do this," she said quietly. Her eyes were moist with tears, but she refused to let any of them fall, stubbornly blinking them back. "I'm sorry, Leona…"

"Don't be," she murmured back, clasping her hand and squeezing it. "C'mon, let's get you home…"

"Okay…" she murmured, giving Leona's hand a weak squeeze back.

Taking a shaky breath and mopping her wet bangs from her forehead, and looked up. She saw Ami running suddenly, pushing through the crowd of people in the middle of the dance floor, her eyes bright.

Looking back, Dawn could still see Ami running, only stopping when—

Dawn's eyes went out of focus. A cold, wet breeze smacked her in the face as Leona pushed open the door and they went outside.

Was that—

The bright swirling lights and the crowd of wild, partying students disappeared as the gym's cold metal door swung close.

Was that Paul?

Turning away, and looking up into the sky, Dawn saw the clouds part to reveal the moon, full and round, the pearly white rays cloaking her as Leona led her to her car.

"_I hope you dance  
__I hope you dance"_

* * *

"Girls are such know-it-alls," Barry continued chattering endlessly to Paul that Monday evening. "They think they're always right about everything, and we're always wrong. It's so annoying!"

"And yet you're still going to ask Ursula out, aren't you?" Paul asked.

"Of course I am!" Barry responded, grinning. "As a favor to her, of course. I mean it's so obvious she digs me and all, and she's not so bad herself, even if she is a know-it-all. Like she showed me this really cool appeal she does in coordinating class sometimes with her Plusle and Minun! Oh, erm… what was the appeal again?"

Barry stopped, tapping his chin thoughtfully.

"Oh well. DeeDee will know! Be right back, Paul!" he yelled before dashing off towards the blunette who was ahead of them, walking by herself since Leona got the stomach flu over the weekend.

Paul watched as Barry called her name and she turned around. He watched them, feeling oddly strange as he watched their backs, DeeDee's midnight blue hair swinging back and forth as she walked and Barry's butter-yellow hair shining even brighter in the sunshine that enveloped Twinleaf that afternoon. There was something oddly familiar about that combination: the combination of blue and yellow. It was like déjà vu.

For a moment an image flashed in his mind, an image of a vast grass area with a stadium present somewhere behind them. Students surrounded him, cheerful voices filling his ears, warm sunshine touching his skin. Ahead of him a few hundred yards away there was a girl with dark blue hair and a boy with bright yellow hair.

The memory and images only lasted a few seconds, and was gone before Paul knew it. He frowned, trying to remember where and when he saw the image.

Paul blinked as he saw Barry make his way back to him.

"Okay, so the combination was a Helping Hand and Spark combination," he chirped cheerfully. "I knew it had something to do with Helping Hand, but I couldn't remember the other attack. Anyway, the combination is so cool because her Plusle and Minun like hold hands and then they make these little electric pompoms! its sooo cool!"

_This is the first time I've ever heard Barry brag about someone other than himself, _Paul mused to himself, smirking slightly.

Glancing ahead, he saw DeeDee again, and was briefly reminded of his own past relationship with Dawn. He remembered the dates they would have beside Lake Valor and the dances they went to together. As quickly as the memories reemerged though, he pushed them away.

He had already decided Saturday he was through with regretting past mistakes and dwelling on them; if Saturday, when stone walls he had as an outer appearance crumbled and broke, revealing his vulnerable side, had taught him anything, it was that he needed to move on. Holding on to the past makes him weak; letting go would make him strong. And so that was what he was going to do now: let go.

And starting today he was going to move on.

Paul smirked as the sun's golden rays warmed his back. Closing his eyes, he basked in the warmness for a few moments, before opening them again. Maybe it was the sun, or maybe it was something else, but whatever it was, Paul was in a good mood that day.

This good mood was evident in how he was merciful enough to avoid trampling on a daffodil which laid innocently between a crack in the sidewalk, where despite the harsh conditions it had endured from the harsh chill and rain, it had survived, thriving now in the sunlight.

_.x._

_Long ago we were strong  
__But we weren't together long  
__Before everything went wrong  
__Your love was like radiation  
__But you were the oyster's creation  
__And everything we had broke like glass  
__We were just like a poisonous gas  
__And at a time we may have been radium  
__But our love has long since decayed  
__But this feeling just won't fade  
__So from this decay forms radon_

* * *

**Radium****: **_white radioactive element _a white highly radioactive metallic element found in minerals such as pitchblende and carnotite. It emits alpha particles as it decays to radon and is used in luminous coatings and the treatment of cancer.

**Radon****: **_radioactive element _a heavy gaseous radioactive chemical element formed from the decay of radium that is used in radiotherapy and found in small quantities in rock and soil. The radon in rock and soil accounts for most of normal background radiation. In heavier concentrations, however, sometimes detected inside homes, it is thought to pose a risk of cancer.

**Not exactly proud of this chapter, but oh well. That's probably because I didn't exactly show "DeeDee" and Paul interacting in this chapter. BUT, I assure you fair readers, there will be PLENTY of ikari-moments in the next chapter! (: Honestly, I can't wait to write next chapter, heehee. Things will start unraveling from here on, I can tell you that. (:**

**Also, yes, I know I said somebody will find out who "DeeDee" really is (…plusafewotherthings…cough), which I was going to add at the end of this chapter, but I wanted to end the chapter there, so I'll just add that part next chapter. **

**Also I added some symbolism in this chapter. Anyone wanna see if they can find what the symbolism is and what it symbolizes? (: It's actually pretty obvious.**

**Let me know of any mistake you see so I can correct it! Also sorry for any OOCness (especially on Paul's part, where there was OOCness… heheheh… :/). AND THANKS TO EVERYBODY WHO REVIEWED! *gives everybody cyber-licious cookies* 8D**

**Unedited.**


	15. Chromium

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **AU. Part 2: Platinum. She is the diamond that broke; he is the pearl that longs to be someone else. They were platinum, but they couldn't take the heat. Both were hurt and betrayed, but perhaps a second chance in Twinleaf can set things right. Ikarishipping!

_**PART TWO**_—**_Platinum_**

**Chapter Fifteen**

Dawn found that love was a fickle thing.

You can love somebody, hate them, and then fall in love with them all over again. It was a rather confusing, frustrating cycle, really.

Especially when the person you love, hate, then possibly love again, is none other than Paul Shinji, who could go from warm to cold in a second. He was sort like the weather: a few days ago it was below freezing, and now today the weather was in its nineties.

Love really was a fickle thing.

She soon realized that after the first day that brought about new but old changes ended.

_.o.o.o._

That day, due to the good weather, Dawn found herself wearing a blue jean skirt she had hidden away after hers and Paul's break up, and a comfy long-sleeved black v-neck top, revealing a white tank top underneath. With the outfit she also wore white knee-high socks and long black leather boots. And of course, hidden beneath the shirt and striped top was the diamond necklace that was a gift her father had once given her when she was still alive, cold on her skin and out of Paul's sight. The outfit was mixed of both Dawn and DeeDee, or a mixed of both of her old and new self, as she preferred to think of it.

Dawn waited in front of Paul's well-groomed front yard where dead flowers were starting to revive now that the sun was out again. The sun was pleasantly warm against her back as she waited for Paul and Barry. The two arrived a few minutes after her, Barry chattering away like usual, while Paul remained as quiet as a stone, although even he seemed a bit more relaxed than the past few days with the sun shining again, no chilly wind whipping at his bangs.

When she saw Paul nod and lift his hand, which was his equivalent of a wave, Dawn walked up to the front porch. She waited in the doorway, waiting for the thuds of Paul's shoes behind her. When she didn't hear the thuds, she turned around, lifting an eyebrow. She saw he was still standing in the driveway, his hands shoved deep in his pockets.

"Hey, Paul, aren't you coming?" she questioned, quirking an eyebrow.

Much to her surprise, he smirked and shook his head. Her frown deepened and she tilted her head to the side.

"Why not?"

"Because this is the first nice weather we've had in weeks and I'm not going to waste the time in my house pretending to present our project to an invisible class when we don't even need the practice," Paul responded coolly back. "And you can go inside and pretend I'm there with you and present to Reggie, or go home, or you can come with me and enjoy the good weather while we have it."

"I never thought of you as the type who actually enjoyed good weather," she commented wryly, smirking slightly. Paul just shrugged and started to stroll down the path again at a casual pace. Dawn rolled her eyes and sighed, following after him.

"So where are you heading anyway?" she questioned.

Paul just shrugged. "Anywhere."

"Ah."

A comfortable silence enveloped them as they walked, the only sounds being the calls and chirpings of starlies also enjoying the good weather, and the thuds of their shoes against the pavement as they walked. Dawn smiled to herself, surprised to find herself so at ease around him after so long.

"Hey! We should go to Lake Verity," she said suddenly, a grin spreading across her face. "I heard there's been spottings of a red gyrados there and we should go and check it out. You know, see if there really is one!"

"A red gyrados?" Paul questioned. She nodded. He shrugged. "I doubt there really is a red gyrados, but lets check it out anyways."

Dawn gave an excited jump as they headed towards Twinleaf's one and only lake, one of the three great lakes of Sinnoh.

As they headed towards Lake Verity she recalled little snippets of memories of her and Barry also racing down this same path once, having been drawn to the lake by the same story of a red gyrados. She also recalled swimming there with Leona, and pushing Kenny into the lake's cold water. Briefly she wondered what she and Paul would do once they got there.

"You're quiet," Paul commented suddenly from beside her as the trees multiplied as they walked along the path that led to Lake Verity.

Smiling, she responded, "Yeah, well, you're always quiet."

Paul stayed quiet at this, his onyx-colored eyes trained on the ground. Briefly, she started to wonder what he was thinking of. He was always so hard to read, like a closed book. Quite the opposite of her. Her mom was always referring to her as an "open book".

"What are you thinking of?" she asked after a minute. The sun now beamed down on them through the cracks on the treetops. Shadows danced around them as the leaves swayed in the warm breeze.

"A lot of things." He said after a while.

"What kinds of things?" she questioned.

"Training, homework, battles…" He paused slightly. "You."

A small blush warmed her cheeks at this last one, and she quickly glanced down, that way he couldn't see the smile quickly spreading across her face.

"Are they good thoughts?" she asked.

"About you?" She nodded. "I guess."

She wanted to ask him what exactly he was thinking of that concerned her, but she didn't want to sound too eager or desperate for such information that she shouldn't even care about.

The trees were beginning to thin again anyway, and within minutes, she could see the glimmering blue surface of Lake Verity which glittered in the sunlight. She smiled at the sight of it, the memories from her childhood rushing back to her again. She started to run towards the lake.

She closed her eyes briefly as she ran, a grin on her face, as the sunlight cradled her, and the wind blew at her blue locks. She opened them again, giggling, as she came to a skidding halt right in front of the shore of Lake Verity. She quickly pulled off her black converse sneakers and threw them elsewhere along with her socks before digging her toes in the sand and spinning.

"Wheeeeee!"

She plopped down on her butt, a yelp escaping her lips as she landed on a pointy sea shell which she threw into the lake once she found the source of her butt's pain. A low chuckle filled her ears and she turned around to see Paul a few yards away, his hands shoved deep in his pants pockets, looking highly amused. She stuck her tongue out at him before turning back to the lake. She extended her legs until she was able to dip her toes into the water.

"Having fun?" Paul called, walking up behind her.

"Actually, yes, I am having fun," she responded back, turning her gaze to him for a second, before turning it back to the lake. Reaching forward and dipping her fingers in the freezing water, she flicked the excess water on her fingers at Paul. He frowned slightly in annoyance as water sprayed his face, now trickling down his forehead and cheek. She giggled, grinning at him.

"You are so immature," he told her blankly.

"It's not that I'm immature," she said. "It's just I'm fun. Funner than _you_, anyways."

Paul rolled his eyes.

"So, here's some trivia for you Paul," she siad. "Did you know Verity means 'truth'?"

"Yeah," he said. "And Valor means 'courage', and Acuity means 'sharpness of wit'."

"Mature _and_ smart," she said. "You're putting me to shame, Paul."

"You're in a few AP classes aren't you?" he questioned, smirking slightly.

"Only a few…" she responded, also smirking. "I only took four advanced classes this year."

"Only?" Paul asked. "I only took three. Advanced English and Advanced Geology which I have with you, and an advanced trainer's class."

"Oh, so you're also strong?" she said. "Strong, mature, smart, _and_ not bad looking either. It's no wonder you have all the girls falling at your feet at school." Paul's smirk grew wider at this comment. Her smirk faded as an angelic smile took its place. "Here's an idea: let's have a three-on-three battle."

"You're challenging me to a battle?" Paul asked, his smirk only growing as his hands began to grip onto one of the poké balls. "I should warn you I got second place in the annual Battle Tournament."

"_Very_ strong," she agreed, still smiling. Of course she had already known he got second place in the Battle Tournament. Her hand grasped onto one of her own poké balls which she kept latched onto the black belt she wore with her skirt. "Let's battle."

He smirked.

"Piplup, spotlight!" she yelled, twirling as she threw the red-and-white capsule that released her blue started pokémon.

"Pip!"

"Eletivire, stand by for battle!"

A twinge of pain filled her heart as she recalled his familiar battle call before quickly vanishing.

"Piplup, bubble beam followed by peck!" Dawn called.

"Lup!" Piplup's beak flowed blue as a stream of bubbles exited his mouth, aiming quickly for Electivire.

"Quick, dodge!" Paul called. "Then use Thunder Punch!"

"Electivire!" The pokémon grunted as it dodged to the right, barely missing the attack. Electivire's electric-charged fist slammed right into the penguin-pokémon just as it was about to peck it with it's large, energy-stored beak, sending him flying.

"Piplup!" he squeaked as he crashed into the ground.

"Eek! Piplup, are you okay?"

Shakily, Piplup stood up before uttering another "lup" and flashed her what she assumed to be the piplup-version of a thumbs up.

"Hmmm…" Quickly, Dawn started to think of a plan. She knew Piplup, being a water type, was weak against Electivire, an electric type, so she had to think of something quick.

"Piplup, use bubblebeam again! Only spin this time!" she told him.

"Piplup!" More beams of bubbles shot from piplup's mouth, only this time it surrounded him as he spun like Dawn instructed. "Pip, pip, pip, pip!"

"What is she up to?" Paul muttered, watching her piplup. Shaking his head, he turned to Electivire. "Brick Break!"

"Electivire!" Electivire charged at the bubbles, the bubbles popping around him as he spread through the cloak of bubbles.

"Use whirlpool on the ground!"

A blue glow was seen dimly through the cloud of bubbles before disappearing as the sight of a blue penguin rose into sight above the bubbles, a large whirlpool underneath him. "Piplup!" The blue penguin released the whirlpool which crashed against the ground, turning the soft lake's soft sand into mud as it collided with it.

"Electivire!"

Paul's eyes widened slightly in disbelief as he saw his pokémon go down beneath the mud.

"Unbelievable," he muttered, shaking his head. He was relieved when he saw Electivire's head pop out from underneath the mud, followed by his hands and tails, and eventually his whole body as he climbed out of the avalanche of mud.

"Vire!" The pokémon grumbled as it shook caked mud off his body.

"That was pretty clever of you," Paul grumbled grudgingly to the blunette on the other side of the battlefield. "But don't think this means you're going to win or anything."

"Don't worry," she said, flashing her smile. "I won't get cocky, _yet._"

"Electivire, thunder!"

"Uh-oh! Counter with bubblebeam, quick!" she yelled, panic suddenly evident on her features.

Paul smirked as he watched the thunder attack cut straight through the bubbles, landing a direct hit on the blue-penguin. As the attack ended, the pokémon stood, his eyes wide and his beak wide open, immobilized, before finally falling, uttering a small defeated "pip…".

Dawn sighed as she returned her defeated pokémon. "You did well, Piplup… return."

"Give up yet, DeeDee?" Paul called, smirking again as he returned Electivire to his poké ball.

"Never!" she declared, already releasing her next pokémon.

"Mamooooo!" A large twin-tusked pokémon howled as it was released. The pokémon was large and brown, even larger and browner than his Ursaring, who he was planning to release, and had something like a blue mask around its eyes. As soon as he saw the pokémon's pig snout surrounded by beige fur in the middle of its big brown face, he realized it was a Mamoswine.

"Stand by for battle, Ursaring!" He yelled, releasing his own big brown pokémon.

The big brown pokémon gave a loud bear roar upon release, snarling menacingly as it showed its teeth, its glare set on DeeDee's Mamoswine who was glaring just as menacing back at the bear pokémon.

"Mamooooooo!"

"GRAAAAWWRRR!"

"Mamoswine, Ice Shard!" Dawn yelled.

Grunting, Mamoswine obeyed, a blue ball of ice that glowed an eerie light blue color began to form between its tusks, growing as the seconds passed.

"Counter with Focus Blast!"

"Grawwrr!" Ursaring grunted, an energy ball forming as he clasped his hands together.

"Mammooooo!"

"GRAWWRRR!"

At the exact same time, the two powerhouses released their blue ball, and the attacks collided, dust forming at the impact of the two powerful attacks.

Dawn didn't hesitate.

"Take down!"

"Mammoooooo!" Immediately the large mammoth-like pokémon charged, an orange aura engulfing it, its eyes blazing as it slammed into Paul's Ursaring, knocking the big bear pokémon back a few feet.

"Hammer arm, let's go!"

"GRRAWWWRRR!" Ursaring roared, immediately closing the distance between it and Mamoswine as it swung its glowing forearms at the pokémon.

"Dodge, quickly! Then Take Down, once more!"

"Mammoooo!" Mamoswine wailed as one one the glowing forearms slammed into its side. "Mammoooo!" It managed to dodge the second one, before turning around and slamming into Ursaring again.

"Great!" Dawn cheered, grinning. "Now use Hidden Pow—"

"Use Hammer Arm, and keep using it!"

Ursaring grunted, its forearms glowing again as it charged Mamoswine once more.

"Dodge all of them!" Dawn shrieked.

Mamoswine did manage to dodge the first three swings, but Ursaring managed to get in five good hits before finally sending Mamoswine skidding a few feet away with one last powerful hit.

"Ma…moo…" Mamoswine panted, kneeling weakly on one of its front legs.

"No need to worry, Mamoswine!" Dawn called back to her pokémon, worry now etched on her face. "Just hang in there!" Her frown deepened as she saw Ursaring, who looked as if it still had plenty of energy left to battle. If she didn't win this round, she would lose the battle and Paul would win. She had to prove to him she was strong. She had to.

With this last thought in mind, she started to evaluate Ursaring, searching for some weakness of the big bear pokémon that she could use to her advantage.

Well, she could use the pokémon's size to her advantage. The bigger a pokémon is, the harder it falls. She could also try to use Ursaring's slow speed to her advantage too.

Suddenly an idea popped in her head.

"Mamoswine, use ice shard, but aim it at the ground!" Dawn ordered.

"Mammooooo!" Another frozen blue ball formed between its tusk, but this time when it released the powerful attack, its tusks were aimed at the ground. "Mammoooo!" The previously marshy ground froze beneath their feet as the ball made contact with it.

Paul frowned as he watched the large mammoth pokémon.

Was she going to try something like she did with her piplup?

"Ursaring, focus blast!"

"Dodge, and use Take Down again!"

Mamoswine managed to dodge the focus blast, and was now charging straight towards Ursaring again.

"Hammer Arm, back to back, once more!" Paul barked.

"Grawrrr…" Ursaring grumbled, its forearms glowing again.

"Turn left!" Dawn demanded.

Paul's eyes widened slightly in surprise at this sudden move. "Left?" he repeated, scowling. He watched as Mamoswine dodged one of Ursaring's hammer arms, now heading towards the lake.

"Chase after it!" he barked at Ursaring, scowling.

Dawn smirked slightly at this. As Ursaring started to gradually catch up, she yelled a new order: "Right!"

Mamoswine sharply turned right, looking slightly confused itself at its trainer's weird demands.

"Urrgggh…" Ursaring grumbled, almost slipping as it made the same sharp right.

"Left again!"

It was like they were going in circles.

"RAWRRRGHH!" Ursaring howled as it lost its balance suddenly on the ice and crashed clumsily on the ice, no doubt going to leave an imprint of a huge bear in the ice.

"Perfect! Now use Hidden Power!"

"Mammooooo!" Mamoswine shrieked, a yellow glow being emitted from its tusk as light-colored circles began to surround Mamoswine before being fired at Ursaring.

"GRRAAWWRRGH!" Ursaring roared as the attack sent it flying backwards, right as it just got back up too.

"Once more!"

Mamoswine repeated the attack, this time slamming Ursaring into a large oak tree.

A low growl rumbled in Paul's throat as he waited for his pokémon to react. The only reaction he got was of Ursaring's falling form as it fell face-first onto the ice, leaving an imprint in the tree it was slammed into.

Paul sighed. "Return."

When he looked up again he saw DeeDee's smiling face. "Not bad." He commented lightly, stony face.

"Give up yet, Paul?" she questioned, repeating what he had asked earlier.

He smirked, his hand traveling to another one of his poké balls.

"Never."

He enlarged the poké ball and threw it. "Torterra, stand by for battle!"

Dawn smiled as she returned her pokémon, thanked it for a job well done, and grabbed one of her other poké balls. She knew just what pokémon to use.

"Togekiss, spotlight!"

"Leaf Storm!" Paul ordered immediately.

"Dodge, and use Sky Attack!"

The top of the tree on Torterr'a back began to glow a light green. Torterra grunted, an abundant of its leaves from off the trees as it hurtled a cyclone of wind at Togekiss, which the pokémon majestically dodged.

"Prrrreeeeee!" It yelled as it charged and rammed into Torterra, a white aura surrounding it. Torterra uttered a small grunt, but otherwise didn't seem too hurt or bothered by the attack.

"Great job!" Dawn praised. "Now use Aura Sphere!"

"Counter it with Frenzy Plant!" Torterra grunted as it stomped on the ground twice, large thorny vines popping out from the ground, the vines immediately slicing through the blue ball of energy Togekiss had created.

"No need to worry, Togekiss!" DeeDee called over to her pokémon. Paul was suddenly reminded of Dawn at these words.

Didn't Dawn use to say the same thing, no need to worry? Or did she say something else, something was different but similar in meaning? Paul frowned, but shook his head, forcing himself to concentrated on the battle.

"Torterra!"

Torterra's eyes began to glow white and two blue rings began to form above the continent pokémon. The blue rings soon transformed into gray stones with Torterra hurled at Togekiss who managed to only dodge one stone.

"Prreeeee!" It cried, flying lower now. It winced as it moved one wing.

"Are you alright, Togekiss?" Dawn called worriedly from the sidelines.

"Preee!"

Dawn smiled, reassured. "Air Slash!"

"Prreeee!" Paul watched at the pokémon began to spin, its body engulfed in a light blue energy that started to spiral around Togekiss. "Prreeee!" Togekiss stopped spinning to fire the blue ball of energy that appeared suddenly in front of it.

"Torterra, dodge!"

Unfortunately, Torterra wasn't fast enough to dodge the attack.

"Tor!" The pokémon shrieked in agony, kneeling slightly.

Paul knew he was slightly at a disadvantage due to Torterra's slow speed, Togekiss having already landed two good hits while he had only landed one. Nonetheless, he remained perfectly calm, brainstorming.

"Togekiss, use Sky Attack!"

A small smirk crawled on top of Paul's lips as an idea suddenly popped in his head.

"Prrrreeeeee!"

"Torterra, grab hold of Togekiss with Frenzy Plant!"

"Torterra!" The large vines that erupted from the ground wrapped itself around Togekiss, stopping the pokémon's attack midair.

"Prreee!" The pokémon cried, startled. It squirmed as the thorns on the vines began to dig into its skin. "Prrreeee!"

"Togekiss!" DeeDee cried, her eyebrows furrowing together in worry. "Shoot! I walked right into a trap, didn't I?"

Paul smirked as he heard these words. "Slam it to the ground!"

"Terra!"

There was a hard thud as Togekiss was slammed against the ground that was still covered in an inch thick of ice, a long crack in the ice appearing on impact.

"Prreeee…" it murmured, weakly lifting itself off the ground with its wings.

"Togekiss, are you alright?" DeeDee called, her hands clasped over her heart. "Can you continue fighting?"

"Preee…" Suddenly the pokémon collapsed, and swirls appeared in its eyes. Paul saw DeeDee sigh as she took out her Togekiss's poké ball, a red light swallowing the pokémon as she returned it.

"You did well, Togekiss," she reassured her pokémon quietly, smiling. "We just had a tough opponent." Returning the poké ball to its original place, she turned back to Paul.

"Okay, I admit it, you are _strong_," she said, walking over to him.

Paul closed his eyes and looked down, shoving his hands in his pockets, a small smile gracing his lips at the praise. "You did pretty well too, considering you're a _coordinator_." She punched his arm.

"Hey, what is that suppose to mean?" she exclaimed. He chuckled, and shook his head.

"Nothing."

Dawn narrowed her eyes at him, but said nothing. Looking up she realized it was nighttime now. The stars were out. The full moon shone down them, its milky white waves kissing her skin as she stared up at it. She turned back to Paul, and saw he was now staring up at the sky too.

"Hey, look," she said suddenly, pointing to the sky. In the sky there were seven silver stars that shined brighter than the other stars that surrounded it. "Doesn't it look like a piplup?" She asked, smiling as she recalled pointing out most likely the same constellation to Paul on their first date together, back on Lake Valor.

Paul looked to where she was pointing. "It looks like a torchic to me."

Dawn was silent for a moment, before quietly saying, "Torchic, piplup, they all look the same." Paul glanced at her, and she briefly wondered if he remembered saying the same words to her (or "Dawn") on their first date together.

She turned to Paul after feeling his gaze linger on her for more than a minute. "Is something wrong?"

Paul shook his head, finally glancing away. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about our battle."

"Ah." She nodded, looking up towards the stars again.

"You…" She turned to him again, and waited for him to continue. When he didn't, she raised an eyebrow. "You have the same pokémon Dawn had…"

She pursed her lips together, remaining quiet.

Maybe tonight he will finally realize…

She turned to Paul and saw he was frowning, his eyebrows furrowed together and his forehead wrinkled, as if in great concentration.

"Paul…" she said softly. He turned to her.

A yearning began to claw at the back of her heart. A yearning for him to know who she was; a yearning for him to know who she _really_ was. The ache in her heart began to grow as Paul's black eyes, like coal in a fireplace, burned into her.

She glanced away, her eyes suddenly feeling swollen.

"We should probably get home," she told him. "It's a school night tonight."

Paul nodded in agreement.

And so in silence, the two walked home.

* * *

Dawn was smiling when she woke up, recalling yesterday's events. Her smile dropped, however, when she looked out the window and saw the sky: clouds. Puffy gray clouds that threatened rain or snow or a cross between the two. No more sunshine.

Dawn shivered as she felt a small chill pass through the room. She closed the window the window which was open just a crack and locked it.

Sighing, she walked over to her closet and grudging pulled out some gray skinny jeans which she matched with a black long-sleeved top (with a smiling piplup wearing a Christmas hat on it!) and her dark blue cardigan covered with thick black stripes. After putting on a pair of tight black leather boots, wrapping a black scarf around her neck, placing her once-signature gold clips in her hair, and tossing on a white beanie with a pink poké ball design on the front (which she hadn't seen or worn since she was in sixth grade and had just recently found), she was ready for school.

Grabbing an energy bar on the way out, she ran outside and pulled open the door to her mom's Toyota, slamming the door shut behind her. They arrived at schools only minutes later. The first thing Dawn noticed when she exited the car was Leona's sly grin, a grin that meant she was about to be drilled for something. What she was about to drilled for, she did not know.

"So, how was your _date_ with Paul?" she asked immediately, grinning, as she crossed her arms over the tacky green Christmas sweater she was wearing.

"Excuse me?"

She was not aware of going on a "date" with Paul yesterday.

Unless…

Oh Arceus.

Leona smirked. "That's right! I saw you and Paul together, walking to Lake Verity. I don't know what you guys did there, but I know you went there together, and that's all that matters! So what's up with you two? Are you just going to forgive the pruneass just like that and be his girlfriend again?"

"O-of course not!" Dawn stammered, and then hissed, _"And keep your voice down!"_

"So you still didn't tell him you're really Dawn, and not DeeDee, I'm guessing?" Dawn shot Leona glare, even though she was thankful that the brunette's voice had lowered some.

"No, I haven't," she responded. It felt like a brick dropped in her chest, and in a whisper she added, "He doesn't need to know."

A look of sympathy crossed Leona's face as she rested a gloved hand on her shoulder, giving it a small squeeze. "Yes, he does need to know," she said quietly. "He's going to find out of his own eventually if you don't tell him. They will say your _real_ name at graduation, Dawn, and graduation is approaching fast. We're already filling out college applications. You need to tell him."

"I don't have to," she responded indignantly, sniffing, as she headed for the main school building. However, she stopped when she heard Leona's next words.

"He won't forgive you if he has to find out on his own."

Swallowing what felt like a lump in her throat, she turned around. "What makes you think I care if he forgives me? We're over, Leona. We're not getting back together, and that's that. He doesn't care what happens to me anyway, whether I'm Dawn, DeeDee, or someone else."

"You know that's not true…" Leona whispered, her eyes boring into hers.

Sighing, Leona turned around. "Well, I'm going to go to the library. It's too chilly out here. Good luck with Paul."

Dawn wanted to stick her tongue out at her best friend, but she resisted the urge. She had just turned back around, about to finish her walk through the doors and into the warm hallways, when she nearly ran into the hman ice cube himself.

Startled, she backed up a few feet. "P-Paul!" she stammered.

He just looked at her and nodded, saying nothing. She felt warmth rush to her cheeks as he continued to stare at her, speaking not a single word.

"So, um," she started, frowning. "Did you need something?"

"Actually, yes," Paul replied. Without waiting for a reply, he quickly said, "I would like to invite you to go to Snowpoint City with me during Winter Break."

Dawn blinked, shocked. "Y-you want me to g-go to Snowpoint with y-you?" she stammered, shocked beyond belief. She pinched herself, expecting to find herself in her bed at home. But, much to her surprise, this scenario was very much real.

He nodded. "I usually invite one friend to go to Snowpoint with me during Winter Break, and since Barry is going to his grandma, I figured you are the next best. Unless you're going to your grandma's house too?"

All her grandma's had died by the time she was in eighth grade.

She shook her head, her eyes still wide in shock, and her cheeks blazing. She stared at the ground, trying to hide her red cheeks. "Actually, no, I'm not going to my grandma's… I-I guess I can ask my mom if I can go with you…"

"Okay then." Paul said.

Glancing upwards, she saw Paul was staring straight ahead now, staring distantly into the sky. She saw snowdrops, small and fluffy, beginning to fall from the sky.

"So, you consider me a friend, huh?" she said after a moment of silence, her voice hoarse. She cleared her throat, again looking down in order to hide the cursed blush she wore with shame on her face.

He shrugged, as if indifferent. "Yeah. Do you?"

"Consider you a friend?" He nodded. She bit her lip. She wanted to say no, but she was going to say yes. "Yes."

She did consider him a friend. A friend she shouldn't have. A friend she didn't deserve. She didn't deserve him as a friend, just like how he didn't deserve her as a friend after everything he did to her at prom. In her mind they were like forbidden friends, just like the apple was considered the forbidden fruit to some.

And as if reading her thought, or as if destiny was giving her some kind of sign that they were forbidden, Paul suddenly presented said forbidden fruit right before her eyes.

"Apple?"

She gazed at the red fruit he held in the palm of his hands, his fingers curled so neatly around it. She was about to decline the apple when he took her hand and placed the apple in her palm anyway. She watched, speechless, as he closed her fingers around the apple.

Tearing her gaze away from the red fruit, she looked up, her eyes instantly connecting with a pool of onyx that seemed to read into her soul.

Somehow finding the words to speak, she whispered "thank you".

Paul just grunted before walking into the school building.

"See you in English."

* * *

Dawn watched the snowflakes outside as they fell, covering the pavement, the trees, everything in sight. She smiled as she heard the familiar rumble of her mother's car as she drove up the sidewalk after a long day at work.

She licked her lower lip nervously, again going over what the words she was going to ask when her mom entered through the door, and the arugments she planned to use if needed.

"Mom?"

Johanna looked up as she heard her daughter call her name, and smiled when she saw Dawn, dressed all warm and snuggly on the couch, a furry blanket pulled up to her chins. She kicked if off when her mother came into view, a smile on her face. She smiled back, words still swirling around in mind.

"Is there something you need, honey?" she asked, taking off her long trench coat and hanging it on the coat rack.

"Actually, yes, there's something I wanted to ask you," she said. Slowly she took a deep breath and asked the first question. "Um, are we going anywhere during Winter Break? Like say, for Christmas?"

Johanna shook her head. "No. None that I recall of. Palmer and I were thinking of having a nice Christmas dinner at that one Seven Stars restaurant outside of Veilstone though. You remember that restaurant, don't you honey?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I remember it."

"So, is there someone you want to go for Christmas?" Her mom questioned, her eyes lit up in curiosity.

"Actually, yeah…" she said quietly, taking another slow breath. "Um… see, I got this invitation from this _friend_ to go to Snowpoint with them in the winter, and um, yeah… I kind of wanted to go."

"Snowpoint does seem like a nice place to spend Christmas…" Johanna murmured thoughtfully. "Who is this friend of yours?"

"Just… just a friend from school."

"Is it Leona? Ursula?"

Dawn shook her hea. Nervously, she clasped her hands together. "Actually it's a boy friend… You know, a friend who is a boy."

Johanna blinked at this news, first surprise crossing her face followed by something that looked close to… understanding?

"Ah. I see."

"So can I go?" she asked, worried now. She could almost hear her mom say the 'no' she even said it.

"Sure."

Dawn blinked, surprised. "Really?"

Johanna nodded. "Sure. I don't see why not. You're nearly eighteen now. You're responsible, and I trust you not to make any stupid decisions or anything."

"Oh. Thanks mom." She smiled, truly grateful.

She was relieved her mom was going to let her to go Snowpoint with Paul (even though she didn't know it was him exactly), although she was suspicious she letting her go with a boy to a city that was hours away. She hadn't even asked the boy's name.

"No problem, dear," her mom responded, also smiling. Her mom sat on the couch that was pressed against the left wall of the house, forming an L with the couch she was sitting on. "It's good for you to get some fresh air. I've been pretty worried for you since we've moved here and you broke up with Paul…"

Instinctively, Dawn felt herself tense as her mom brought up the subject of her and Paul.

"Yeah, well, I guess I was still getting use to all the changes," she mumbled, turning to gaze outside the window once more. "Moving to a new house and all…"

Johanna nodded. "Of course. You two didn't need to break up just because you were moving away though… it is possible for a long-distance relationship to survive. And Twinleaf is only two hours away from Veilstone. I take it that was the reason you two broke up, wasn't it?"

Dawn remained silent, carefully choosing her words.

"Actually, it was more of a misunderstanding, but… it doesn't really matter now… I mean, we're still friends…" Well, it was the truth. A deceiving truth, anyways. Hey, it was still the truth right? "Why?"

Her mother was about to reply, but the shrill ring of the kitchen's phone cut her off.

"Hello?" Her mother said, answering the phone.

Meanwhile Dawn walked to her room, smiling to herself, as she already started to plan everything she would need and bring for her trip with Paul to Snowpoint.

* * *

"Wow…"

Dawn's eyes widened as she took in the sight of Snowpoint City, a small, excited grin overtaking her face. She felt excitement fill her as Reggie parked the car in front of a small cottage where he, Paul, and one of Paul's friends usually stayed during Winter Break. Exhilaration was running rampantly through her veins when she felt the first chilly Snowpoint wind on her face.

"Snowpoint is so beautiful!" Dawn exclaimed. Her eyes examined the white snow that blanketed the ground, glittering like diamonds in the weak sunlight that peaked through the gray clouds. The sky was a real pretty dove gray color from the clouds that covered the sky. Dawn had never seen snow so beautiful until now.

"Yep," Reggie said. "This is Snowpoint! Amazing, huh?" Dawn nodded, that childish grin still on her face.

"It is…" she breathed.

She heard a small rustle behind her and she turned around to see Paul, who despite being the one who had invited her to come with him to Veilstone, had remained quiet a good portion of the ride, Reggie being the one doing most of the talking. Paul's uncle hadn't been able to come with them due to a "business trip".

Paul had two luggages in his hand which he carried into the house on his own. Dawn grabbed her own two bags and followed Reggie into the house.

Her eyes widened once more when she took in the sight of the maple walls covered in portraits of Paul's and Reggie's family, the maple floor which was partly covered by a warm brown rug. There was a fireplace in one corner of the house which would have brightened the room with a magnificent orange glow if it was on, along with a coffee table which was present in the middle of the living room. Two brown couches that matched the rug that were pressed against two different walls. It was like the perfect winter cottage: simple, warm, and snug. It may have not been a fancy nor expensive house, but nonetheless, Dawn was jealous.

Paul must have seen her awed expression because he smirked. "Like it?" he asked.

"Like it?" she asked, turning to him. "This place is beautiful! Is everything in Snowpoint beautiful?"

"Pretty much," Paul said. Suddenly, he grabbed her hand. Dawn blushed at the contact, her eyes widening some at the sudden contact. "There's something I wanna show you."

"O-oh, okay," she agreed, still blushing madly. He led her outside where a cold wind whipped at her face. Dawn shivered, pulling her red parka closer to her body as Paul led them further along on a trail.

"Where are we going?" she questioned. She noticed the snow on either side of the path was getting thicker along the way. This path to wherever they were going could have only been paved recently.

"You'll see," Paul replied gruffly back.

About ten minutes later, Dawn spotted the first sign of green poking out through a blanket of now. Briefly Dawn wondered how trees could even survive in this kind of climate. Maybe the snow was magic or something.

Another five minutes later and Dawn noticed the sun was beginning to sink down into the Earth once more. The trees were beginning to grow thinner and thinner as they approached something in the distance that was shining like a million diamonds in the vanishing sunlight.

When she spotted the frozen lake she immediately realized where they were.

"We're at Lake Acuity," Dawn said quietly. Paul nodded, and she smiled slightly, a warm feeling flooding over he as she remembered that one day at Lake Verity, and all those nights they spent together at Lake Valor.

Lake Acuity was frozen all over, smooth and slick all over. Dawn watched as the sunlight washed over it's frozen surface. It had to be the most beautiful sight she ever saw, and the most wonderful moment of her life: the lake top glittering like billions of little diamonds littered the surface, the sunset gold and scarlet in the background, Paul's warm hand holding hers as they watched the sunset together.

"Paul, this place is so…"

"Beautiful?" He finished for her. She turned towards him, her eyes meeting his. "I told you everything looks more beautiful here." She blushed and turned away, her heart pounding in her chest.

Why did it seem like he was talking about her, not the sunset?

_I hate this…_ she thought.

She hated how he didn't know who she really was. She just wished they had never broken up. If she had just told him in the first place about having to move to Twinleaf, none of this would have happened she knew. It all seemed so stupid now. She couldn't even remember why she had been worried about his reaction in the first place anyway.

They could have still been together… They could have been happy together… She could have still been his, and he could have still been hers… But now they couldn't, all because of a stupid misunderstanding, because of a few stupid mistakes. It wasn't fair. It wasn't right.

Dawn felt her body stiffen as her body began to shudder. Her throat became raw in an effort to hold back the tears that were fighting their way to her eyes. Paul must have just thought she was cold.

"We should get home…" he murmured quietly, his body warm against hers as he pulled her closer to him. "It's suppose to be below zero degrees tonight."

"Alright…" Dawn agreed, glancing back at the diamond-dusted lake one last time, trying to paint the scene in her head forever, regret following her all the way back.

* * *

On Christmas morning Dawn woke up in the early morning, approximately two or three A.M. or so, to another bad dream about her and Paul. She squeezed her eyes shut, rolling over in the bed, blinking her eyes several times. She could make out a light underneath her door. She soon closed her eyes again, exhaustion weighing over her.

A breeze whispered outside her window, lulling her to sleep like a lullaby. She was almost asleep when she heard her door creak open and a voice quietly called her name.

"Dawn?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, willing the voice away. She wanted to sleep. She curled up tighter in her bed, sighing softly as she pulled the comforter even closer to her.

"Dawn? Wake up, I need to talk to you."

This is just a dream, she thought. Sighing again, as she rolled over once more.

"Dawn. Dawn, wake up."

"Go away…" she mumbled.

"Dawn, you have to tell Paul the truth."

She remained quiet, convinced this was just a dream.

"I know it's really you, Dawn, not 'DeeDee' or whoever," Reggie continued quietly. "I ran into your mother at the store about a week ago."

"That's nice…" she murmured back sleepily. She didn't open her eyes.

"You have to tell him yourself, you can't let him find out by his self," Reggie continued sternly. "My brother is in denial, Dawn, but he won't remain in denial for the rest of his life. I don't want either of you to get hurt again."

"I'm not going to hurt him…" she mumbled back. Finally she opened her eyes, and she turned over again, staring sleepily back at Reggie who was like a shadow in her room, outlined only by a dim light in the hallway. "Nobody's going to get hurt."

She saw Reggie smile unsurely back, his eyes sympathetic.

"I would hope not…" he said.

She closed her eyes again.

She heard Reggie stand up, his footsteps soft thuds against the carpet as he walked out of the room, the door creaking shut behind him. When Dawn opened her eyes again, she saw the light in the hallway was off. Briefly she wondered if that was real or if she had just imagined Reggie came in her room. Either way, she closed her eyes again and drifted back to sleep.

* * *

"So did you ever go to the trainer's school here?"

Paul shook his head. "No. By the time I moved here I was too old to qualify for the school, and I couldn't take the school any of the other times since they don't allow you to take the class for only one week."

"I see. So how long did you attend live here before you moved?" Dawn questioned.

"Only for a little more than half a year," he responded. "I moved here around the beginning of summer then moved to Veilstone the first week of February. I went to the high school here for only a semester and then I went in home schooling January so I could help Reggie and Cyrus pack."

"Really?" she giggled. "How many girls did you leave heartbroken there then?"

"Snowpoint High School is a small school," Paul responded. "It only has a about one hundred and four students, total, counting me, so only four."

"Wow," she said. "So a little more than two percent of the school was left heartbroken by the great Paul Shinji." She giggled at this, her cheeks a rosy pink. "So, what other places does Snowpoint have?"

"Well, Snowpoint also has a temple," Paul told her. "I can go show you it if you want."

"Really?" she said. "Are you sure? I mean it's getting dark out."

"I don't mind," he responded back, already standing up. "And Snowpoint is a perfectly harmless place as long as we have our pokémon with us."

"Well, okay," Dawn agreed, smiling.

Paul grabbed her hand and led the way.

"Have fun!" Reggie called after them, busy hanging a mistletoe on the doorway as part of the Christmas decorations.

Dawn glanced back over her shoulder at Reggie, remembering last night. She still wasn't sure if that was real or just something a subconscious part of her had made up when she was sleeping.

"So how far away is this temple?" she questioned.

"Not too far away," he responded. "We should be there in a few minutes. It's just behind those trees over there. All we have to do is follow this trail and we'll be there before we know it."

"Okay," Dawn said.

"Hey, do you like chocolates?" he asked suddenly.

She nodded. "Yeah, I love chocolate. Especially chocolates will fillings in them. Why?"

"Here," he said, holding a wrapped round candy out for her to take. "It's a Lindor truffle. It has a white chocolate filling." Dawn's eyes brightened at the sight of the candy

"You are absolutely amazing! I love Lindor truffles," she declared, gratefully taking the wrapped round deliciousness from his hand. She stared at the blue wrapper before peeling it off. "Thank you."

Paul just shrugged, sheepishly looking away.

She stuck the piece of candy in her mouth, allowing the chocolate flavor to wash over her tongue. The outer layer of chocolate was already beginning to melt.

"You're so sweet," she said. "A lot sweeter than I remember." She covered her mouth as she realized her little slip.

"Well, it's not like you were exactly friendly towards me when I first came here," he responded blankly back, having obviously thought she was referring to the beginning of the year.

"O-oh yeah… Sorry about that… it was just…" She shook her head, deciding to not finish her sentence, hoping Paul would just be satisfied with her apology, which he was. After a long moment of silence, she decided to start up the conversation again.

"So, what is suppose to be the Snowpoint Temple anyway?" she questioned. "Anything special?"

Paul shook his head. "Not really," he responded. "There is just suppose to be a statue of a Regigigas, a rare pokémon, but that's all. The temple is still pretty impressive though."

Just as he said that she spotted the temple, a huge old gray structure that rose from behind the trees that were thinning. She could see several pillars the front of the temple, supporting the weight of the roof.

"Wow…" she breathed.

_I might just have to move here after I'm done with college and everything, _Dawn thought to herself.

"You are so lucky you get to come here every winter," she declared, grinning as she ran up to the front of the temple, Paul following slowly behind her. "This City is just amazing. It has a lake, a temple, the most _beautiful_ snow with the most _beautiful_ sunsets!"

"Snowpoint is pretty special, I guess," Paul said after a moment.

"You know, I use to have a friend—" She stopped suddenly, remembering Paul wasn't suppose to know she was friends with Zoey.

Paul raised an eyebrow. "What is it?"

Dawn bit her lower lip, then shook her head. "Eh… it's nothing. I was just saying I use to have a friend who to live here… She never told me how beautiful this place is."

"Ah." Paul said.

Dawn sat down on the first step that led to the entrance of the Snowpoint Temple. She watched as once more scarlet and gold and violet washed over the land as the sun started it's journey to the other side of the world. Underneath this sunlight the snow shone a beautiful gold color. The vanishing sunlight even washed over Paul, outlining him in gold so he resembled something close to a wingless angel, before vanishing, shadows of the night now dancing in the snow. Stars now sprinkled the clear black sky, a pale crescent moon shining weakly down on them.

Dawn glanced over at Paul, and saw he was still standing around the clearing in front of the temple. He had a small blue box in his hand with a silver bow on top of it.

"What's that?" she questioned.

"It's a Christmas gift," Paul answered gruffly. He crossed the clearing and then roughly shoved the box in her hands. "Merry Christmas."

"A gift?" She stared at the box in her hands, her mind spinning for a few moments, before her mind finally cleared and she carefully unwrapped the gift. Underneath all the wrapping paper a black velvet box was revealed. Dawn blinked, tilting her head to the side in confusion before opening the box.

"No way!" she exclaimed. Shocked and thrilled beyond belief, she grabbed the absolutely dazzling piplup ring from the box. "A piplup ring? I didn't know they had such a thing! What is this thing made out of anyway?"

"Sapphires and diamonds," Paul responded simply. Dawn's eyes widened, surprised he was willing to spend so much on her. "It was custom made." She nearly had a heart attack at this news.

"But that must have costed like… _a million dollars!_"

Paul raised an eyebrow at this exclamation, sweat dropping. "Not even close," he responded. "It only costed a few hundreds."

Dawn frowned at this, guilt plaguing her like the Black Death.

"I don't deserve this…" she murmured. She shook her head, returning the ring to its box and closing the box. "I'm sorry, this is nice and all, like _really, really _nice, but I just can't have it…"

"Sure you can," Paul responded, refusing the box.

"I don't deserve this," she repeated firmly. "I'm sorry, but I can't have it."

"Just keep it, DeeDee." Dawn felt her knees grow weak at the sound of _that_ name, the _cursed_ name, more guilt washing over her. Paul's eyes locked with hers, and she felt her throat go raw. "I'm serious. This is my gift to you, so you're going to keep it."

Finally, Dawn sighed in defeat.

"Okay, fine…" she grumbled, guilt still gnawing at her insides.

She opened the box once more, staring at the carefully designed piplup ring that had been artistically crafted with sapphires and diamonds along with two small black jewels (she guessed onyx) that served as the piplup's eyes. The pair of blank black eyes stared up at her, and Dawn found herself smiling, reminded of Paul's onyx-colored eyes. She slipped the ring on her finger, her smile broadening when she found it was a perfect fit.

"Thank you," she said, taking Paul off-guard as she hugged him.

Awkwardly he returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her, frowning slightly. Obviously he wasn't use to being hugged, especially by her. Dawn was surprised to find herself crying into Paul's jacket as she hugged him, her shoulders trembling suddenly as emotions of guilt and regret and several other emotions overwhelmed her.

Paul pulled away from her, shocked to find the blunette crying and trembling so badly, tears spilling from her eyes like a waterfall.

"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked.

Dawn found herself crying harder as she rubbed at her eyes, demanding herself to stop crying, to stop being so weak and pathetic in front of Paul. It took her a few moments to answer, but finally she found her voice.

"I-I'm s-sorry," she hiccupped. "I-it's just I-I'm o-overwhelmed with e-emotions, I-I guess." She smiled, as if to reassure him, still rubbing at her eyes. "N-no need to worry, though."

Paul's shoulders relaxed some, but he continued to frown, feeling nervous and uncomfortable as he watched her. He was no good at comforting girls, especially when they were crying, especially since half the time it was his fault they were crying.

Finally, she stopped crying, and she went back to admiring the piplup ring he had given her. He watched her, millions of questions swimming in his head, his head a jumble of them. He remembered back to the beginning of the year, remembering how she appeared to despise him, and then remembered back to almost a year ago, when he had moved to Veilstone and had first met Dawn. She had appeared to despise him for a while too, even though he had to admit that was mainly his doing.

He knew a great deal about DeeDee already, but there was still so much he didn't know about her. It was like she carefully guarded, only letting him know stuff about her she wanted him to know and nothing else. It was like she kept herself shrouded in a mystery.

"I want to know more about you," he said suddenly.

Dawn looked up, startled. "You want to know about me?" she repeated, confusion lighting her face. "But you already know a lot about me."

Paul shook his head. "I hardly know anything you."

"But you do know a lot about me," she insisted, frowning. "A lot more than you realize."

"Yeah, I know you have a brother, I know a lot of the pokémon you have, I know you're a coordinator, a former cheerleader, a straight-A student, and a few other stuff, but I still don't know _you_." He responded.

"Me?" she repeated, becoming even more confused. "There's nothing else to know about me, really." _Nothing else that you don't already know, anyway, _she thought to herself. "You already know everything there is about me that matters."

"Everything about you matters," he responded firmly.

_But you already know everything! _She responded defiantly in her mind, her response sounding a plea, which it was. It was a plea for him to remember who she was, who she _really_ was.

"There's nothing special about me," she responded softly, her eyes flickering to the ground. She started to turn the ring he gave her on her finger. Paul was about to respond sharply back, but she interrupted him. "What would you do if I was Dawn?"

Paul blinked, taken off-guard by this question.

"What?"

"I said," she grounded between her teeth. "What would you do if I was Dawn? You know, your ex-girlfriend."

Paul blinked, a look of anger and conflict appearing on his face before he slowly shook his head. "You're not Dawn."

"I remind you of her. I look like her, I act like her, I'm a former cheerleader like she was, I have the same pokémon she has," she responded back. "How do you know I'm not her?"

"You're not her," Paul yelled back, anger now evident in his voice. Anger flared in his eyes as he glared at her, his arms folded across his chest. "You're different than her. You're better."

"You're just saying that," she snapped back. "And what if I was her? What would you do?"

"I wouldn't do anything because you're not her," he growled back. "You're not Dawn. You can't be. There's no way you can be Dawn."

"But how can you be so sure?" she demanded.

"You don't know Dawn," he growled through his teeth, his eyes flashing. "You're different from her!"

Dawn stared at him, her body feeling numb as she frowned in disappointment.

Did he really not realize she was really Dawn? That she "DeeDee June" was really Dawn? Had she really changed that much? Or was it something else? Was it that he was in denial or something else?

Dawn sighed as she looked away, trying to fight the disappointment welling up inside her. She glanced up at the moon, thin as a fingernail up in the sky, pale and luminous compared to the inky blackenss of the sky.

"It's getting late," she said suddenly. "I'm going to head back."

Paul watched her get up and follow the snow-dusted path back to the cabin. He headed after her, an odd emotion which he could not name whirling inside of him like a hurricane. It was a cold, cold emotion, like a mix between anger, confusion, and despair with a tinge of hatred at the blunette for bringing up Dawn like that. The mix of all these emotions and feelings were were a strange mix be have whirling inside of you. They all made his head spin, a headache growing there, while they left the rest of his body cold all over.

When DeeDee reached the cabin door, her hand stopped on the doorknob, as she turned towards him. He waited for her to either go in or say something. Finally, she did say something.

"I'm sorry."

Paul wasn't sure what exactly she was sorry for, but he just nodded anyway, giving a small grunt in response. Paul expected her to go in after this, but she remained still, her hands still on the doorknob while she watched him with sad blue eyes, a sad smile painted regretfully across her face.

"I never should have let you believe…" she trailed off, shaking her head, her shoulders trembling slightly.

Paul frowned, not sure of what she was talking about. He took a step closer to her, resting a hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said slowly. "But whatever it is, don't worry about it. Whatever it is, it can't be that big of a deal."

She just looked at him and sighed, as if she believed otherwise.

"I'll tell the truth one day…" she promised quietly.

Paul was about to ask her what she meant, but then she looked up again, her blue eyes connecting first with his before traveling upwards and lingering on something on the doorway before turning back to him.

"Merry Christmas, Paul," she whispered, standing on her toes to give him a quick peck on the cheek. She turned the doorknob and entered the warm comfy cabin.

Paul looked upwards and saw the mistletoe hanging right above the doorway.

Paul smirked, his hand touching the burning spot where DeeDee's lips were only seconds earlier.

_Merry Christmas to you, too…_

_.x._

_There's something getting in the way…_

_It's these barriers I used to block you from my head  
__It's the wall I paved after everything you said  
__It's the river I cried and the bridge I tore apart  
__Blocking your hands access from my heart  
__I resist you so I can avoid the inevitable pain  
__That comes with falling in love with you all over again_

_But these walls I built are crumbling  
__And the river I made out of my tears is drying  
__The barbed wires around my heart are disappearing  
__And the bad memories are fading  
__These shields are diminishing_

_And I remember when you were my reason for everything  
__My heart is like chromium, my protection  
__And you are the corrosion, my destruction  
__But now my barriers are breaking  
__And there's nothing I can do_

* * *

**Chromium**: Hard Metallic Element - a bluish-white metallic element used in alloys and electroplating to increase hardness and resistance to corrosion. Its compounds are used as pigments, as catalysts, and in tanning.

**Okay, yeah, so this was sort of a Christmas chapter. XD; Boy, do I love writing these ikarishipping and winter scenes, hahaha… Also the symbolism from last chapter was the daffodil which symbolizes "rebirth" or new beginnings. Also the song that was playing when Dawn was at the dance, "I Hope You Dance" by Leeann Womack sort of was too because the song is about living with no regrets.**

**Also questions for this chapter: (just because I love hearing the answers to them from you guys [: )**

**1. What did you think of the battle between Dawn and Paul? Was it realistic enough? ****I was trying to make Paul seem just powerful enough while also trying to make Dawn not seem too weak.**  
**2. Notice any differences with Dawn?  
****3. Based on this chapter, when do you the "secret" (or truth) about "DeeDee" will come out?  
****4. Anybody wanna change their guesses on who they think will tell/spill the secret?  
****5. Any predictions? Also next chapter's title will be "Iron". Take with that what you will. :P**

Unedited.


	16. Iron

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **AU. Part 2: Platinum. She is the diamond that broke; he is the pearl that longs to be someone else. They were platinum, but they couldn't take the heat. Both were hurt and betrayed, but perhaps a second chance in Twinleaf can set things right. Ikarishipping!

**(AN: *whispers loudly* Hey! (: Listen to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Greenday while reading this chapter, okay? :]).**

_**PART TWO**_—**_Platinum_**

**Chapter Sixteen**

Dawn could feel it.

The rift that had been opened between her and Paul. It was like there was an invisible wall between them now, like a bubble that surrounded them and guarded them. It was a rift she had created between them that night at Lake Acuity.

She wondered if Reggie could feel the rift that had pulled her and his brother apart, too, or if it was just something only her and Paul were aware of, or perhaps, maybe even just her imagination.

Gazing out the window though, trees cloaked with snow blurring pass, she felt confident this "rift" between her and Paul couldn't have been just her imagination considering the only sound in the car was the normal rumbling of the car as it drove away from Snowpoint and towards Twinleaf and a cheery Christmas song coming from the radio.

"_Last Christmas, I gave you my heart, but the very next day, you gave it away… This year, to save me from tears, I'll give it to someone special…"_

She glanced side-ways at Paul, who was as silent as a rock as he also watched the scenery outside blur pass them. Her eyes darting back to the window, she sighed softly to herself, staring numbly back out the window.

About an hour later, the car was finally filled with some noise other than the rumbling of the car and the annoying Christmas songs that Dawn had already heard way too many times.

"Oh shoot…" That was Reggie's voice. "Looks like I'm going to have to pull over in the next town to get gas."

Coincidentally, or perhaps not, the next town just-so-happened to be Veilstone. Dawn recognized Veilstone immediately: the tall buildings, the mountainous terrain, the hard gray ground, the city's famous meteorites.

Dawn felt herself sink further into her seat as she pulled her knees up and hugged them closer to her as she stared sadly at the gray car seat in front of her. The car's engine off now, it was silent, the silence filling her ears louder than any music ever could. Suddenly, Dawn could hear voices outside. Familiar voices.

"_So I was thinking for the test Glameow could maybe use a Shadow Claw and Shock Wave combination as an appeal."_

Dawn felt her heart beat race at the voices now filling the car outside, her hands starting to sweat like crazy as she squeezed them together tightly. She licked her lower lip nervously.

"_Oooh, that would be an interesting appeal. For my appeal I was thinking of using Skitty and taking my chance with Assist and Blizzard."_

"_You guys have another appeal test in Coordinating? Man, I never have tests in my Element class."_

"_Well, what kind of test can you have in that class? A test to see who can swim the fastest?"_

This remark was followed by laughter and an annoyed "shut up" from Misty.

Dawn could feel herself shaking, a chillness that was colder than the chilliest wind in Snowpoint, overtaking her as she rubbed her hands up and down her arms, unable to warm herself. Of course, this was due to the fact that the coldness came from inside her; a coldness which represented the hurt and regret and sadness she had kept bottled up inside of her, only to be disturbed by the sound of laughter and chatter from her old friends.

Dawn was trying her best to remain composed – she really was. She blinked back the tears that were beginning to form in the corner of her eyes, and she fiercely told herself to stop. She thought she was doing a pretty good job of seeming okay, of seeming as if nothing had really happened and the two red-heads and the brunette that had just walked by were just ordinary strangers she didn't even know, nonetheless once friends with.

"Hey, are you okay?"

She _thought_ she was doing a pretty good job of seeming okay… but then Paul spoke.

She turned to the lavender-haired man and forced a smile.

"Yeah, I'm fine. No need to worry!"

She turned back to the back of the car-seat she was staring at, refusing to glance out the window in fear of seeing someone else from her past, which would in turn spark an emotional reaction from her. She also did her best to tune-out the voices outside the car and the rest of the world, her eyes now shut, as she started to hum a song inside her head.

_Last Christmas… I gave you my heart… But the very next day, you gave it away…_

"_Dawn?" _

A voice whispered. Dawn's forehead wrinkled and her eyebrows furrowed together as she heard this voice, her heart skipping a beat at the whispered name. She had an odd urge to giggle at the sound of her name being spoken so softly by such a gruff voice. She resisted the urge to do so, however. After all, it would be silly for her to giggle at something that was surely just her imagination.

_This year… to save me from tears…_

"_DeeDee?"_

_I'll give it… to someone… someone…_

"_DeeDee?"_

Dawn was about to not respond, convinced this was also nothing more than her imagination, but then opening one eye, she glanced at Paul. He was staring at her expectantly, his eyes now boring into hers.

"Um, did you say my name?" she asked, feeling dumb as she asked the question. He nodded in response.

"I was checking to make sure you weren't asleep," he told her.

"Oh." Silence. She frowned. "Okay then."

She turned towards the backseat once more before staring blankly at her fingers as she twisted them together and then studied them, determined to not look out the window or pay attention to the world outside the car. Or next to her.

_It was stupid._ She thought suddenly.

What had made her even think any of her problems would be solved by avoiding her friends for the rest of her life and pretending to be someone she was not? It was foolish. Not to mention stupid. She was a fool and she was stupid. A stupid, stupid fool.

Dawn blinked at her fingers which were intertwined once more, and she closed her eyes as she thought of Veilstone and all the friends and memories she had made there along with the rollercoaster of experiences she went through.

_Friends, friends, friends…_

She had had tons of friends in Veilstone. There was no denying that. But she only had a few good-good friends, best friends, compared to the many other friends she had that were better described as 'acquaintances that wanted to be her friends', or the many frenemies she had that only liked her for her popularity and nothing more.

_Memories, memories, memories…_

And she had so many memories: good memories, bad memories, funny memories, what others would consider pointless memories. She definitely had more good memories than bad memories during her stay in Veilstone.

_Experiences, experiences, experiences…_

And she had so many experiences that had helped make her into the person she was today. Some were good experiences, others bad experiences, and there were also painful experiences and learning experiences. Like her memories, the good experiences outweighed the bad experiences.

_I was stupid to throw that all away, _she thought again.

By then Reggie had filled up the gas tank with enough fuel to drive them back to Twinleaf and were now heading out of the gas station and out of Veilstone, the city of memories and experiences for Dawn.

* * *

Dawn thought of Paul out in the battlefield. When he was battling a trainer, he was like iron: strong and unyielding, always iron-willed and always battling with an iron-grip, his skills and almost unbeatable strategies proof of how battling was in his blood.

It was something she always admired about him, even when she did flinch when he shared harsh words with a pokémon when they disappointed him. She admired how he could almost always keep in control of the situation, keeping his emotions in-check in battle, even when the battle heated up and the odds looked against him. They were qualities she wished she had.

Dawn stared at the phone in her hand, her thumb on one of the numbers, ready to call someone if needed.

She thought of Paul and all the other admirable qualities he possessed: his courage (_which she oh-so desperately wished she had at this very moment_), his strength (_oh if only she had the strength to press that button!_), his indifference _(oh how that quality would have been helpful on prom night)._

_I can't believe they ever called me a diamond, _she thought to herself, scoffing mentally. A diamond wouldn't have broke after one hit, one fall. A diamond would have had the strength to take many more hits and still not break.

She pursed her lips together, still staring at the blank, dark screen on her cell-phone.

_C'mon, do it! _She urged herself. _Press it, press it! Don't think, just do it!_

…

Dawn scowled at the phone, annoyed with herself.

How hard was it to press one stupid little annoying button?

Without thinking, she pressed the button which immediately speed-dialed Zoey's phone number. Dawn felt her heart jump in her throat as she realized what she did and she dropped the phone, accidentally hitting the speaker button.

The phone rang loudly throughout her room, and a bit timidly, Dawn picked up her phone, holding the phone an arm-length away as she anxiously waited for Zoey to pick up.

The phone rang it's full-course and Dawn felt sadness well-up inside her as she realized this.

Maybe… maybe they had given up on her. Maybe they had decided their life were so much better already without her…

Just then, the phone started ringing full blast again, and startled, she dropped the phone again. When Dawn overcame her shock and picked up the phone she saw Zoey's picture on the screen, indicating it was her who was calling.

Briefly, Dawn conflicted with herself over whether or not she should pick up the phone. The phone had almost ran it's full course when she finally pushed the talk button.

"Um, hello?"

"_DAWN!" _This was May's voice, not Zoey's, and Dawn found herself sweat dropping as the brunette exclaimed excitedly to someone on the other end of the phone, _"It's really her! She picked up, she picked up!"_

"_May, give me the phone," _she heard Zoey say.

"_Hey, no way – hey let go, I have to say something first! Zoeeeey!"_ May hissed before exclaiming wildly to Dawn, _"Okay, listen I am SO, SO, SOOOO sorry for getting mad at you for trying to set me up with Drew and for being a horrible friend and not believing you or listening to you and thinking you were going out with some other guy while you were dating Paul when I already know you are way better than that and for being a horrible friend—"_

"_You already said that!" _A voice (Misty's?) exclaimed from the other end.

"_ANYWAYS," _May said, obviously glaring at (Misty?) whoever the other voice belonged to. _"I know I was a horrible friend and totally don't deserve your friendship or a second chance, but I'm hoping maybe, considering you finally actually called back, hoping maybe you might just possibly, just possibly, can forgive me and still be my BFFL? It would mean the world to me, even though I obviously don't deserve the world."_

Dawn listened to all of May's long run-on sentences silently, a small smile forming on her features.

"Of course," she responded.

She heard May scream in joy from the other line. _"So, we're like still BFFLs?"_

She nodded, and then remembering she couldn't see it, said, "BFFLs."

"_Awesoooome!" _May exclaimed. _"Anyway, now that's we're BFFLs again, I gotta say, I was being a total bitch for getting mad at you for trying to set me up with Drew again, especially considering – well, okay, get this: just a week into summer, I was down my house, out in my bathing suit, you know, getting a tan, when suddenly Drew shows up and he has this guitar and I'm like 'what the heck, Drew?' and then he starts SINGING! And it's like this song I never heard of and it turns out he wrote the song himself just for ME and, and—_"

"_Okay, you said what you needed to, now quit being a phone hog and give me my phone back!" _Zoey hissed, a struggle now becoming evident by the static and wind now filling the phone.

"_Oh come on, I was just getting to the good part!" _May whined.

There was a final struggle between the two before an out of breath _"hey" _from Zoey made it evident who won that struggle.

"_So, um…" _There was an awkward cough from Zoey, something that was rare from the redhead who was known to always speak her mind. _"What changed? Why did you call?"_

Dawn thought this question over for a minute.

"Nothing changed," she replied honestly. This was partly true: Paul still had no idea who she was apparently and they were basically still on the same terms with each other as they've always been, despite the increased amount of time they had spent together in the last week or so. "It's just… I… I've missed you guys." She blushed as she said this, her face growing warm in embarrassment.

"_Awww…" _She heard May giggle in the background.

"_We've missed you too, Dawn!" _That was Leaf's voice in the background.

"_Yeah! Come back!"_ Misty also yelled in the background.

Dawn smiled, and she wiped her eyes, her heart swelling in joy now that she knew her friends had also missed her. "I'm sorry, but I can't," she told them earnestly. "I didn't exactly move willingly. My mom got remarried to a guy who lives in Twinleaf so we moved back there."

"_Awww, that sucks," _May said.

"_We should meet again somewhere," _Zoey told her. _"So we can hang out and catch up."_

"_I'm in!" _Misty yelled.

"_Me too," _Marina said.

"_Me three!" _Leaf chimed.

"_And don't forget about me!" _May exclaimed.

"_How about you, Dawn?" _Zoey asked, waiting for her response.

"Sure." Cheers were heard from the other end of the phone. "Just name the time and place."

* * *

Dawn glanced around uneasily, nervously tugging on the end of the knee-length dress she was wearing that was pink on top up until it reached her waist, the lower part of the dress strictly being black. Glancing into the mall's dark tinted window she quickly fixed the small pink bow in her hair so it was straight. Checking her pokétch for the millionth time that day, she saw it was almost lunchtime.

"DAWN!" Two voices screamed in unison.

Looking up, Dawn sweat dropped as she watched two brunettes, one dressed in a red sundress while the other wore an identical dress in a pretty lime green shade, hurtled towards her while a red-head, a carrot top, and a blunette followed more calmly behind them. As the two brunettes reached her she found herself sandwiched between them.

"It's so good to see you!" Leaf exclaimed.

"Oh I was so scared you wouldn't come after all! I'm sorry, Dawn, I really am!" May told her, finally releasing her bear-hug from the blunette while Leaf continued her death-hug.

Dawn smiled, even though it was a bit forced. "No need to worry, May. It's not a big deal anymore…really." She managed to utter, starting to feel light-headed.

"Um, Leaf, she's turning blue," Zoey told her, sweat dropping.

"Oh, oops! Sorry Dawn!"

Dawn gasped as Leaf finally released her from her bear hug (or death hug, to be more precise). She stumbled slightly, woozy, as she grabbed May's shoulder for support.

"Hey Dawn, did you get a haircut?" Misty questioned suddenly. "It looks different… shorter. Didn't your hair use to reach to the middle of your back? I could've sworn it was longer."

Dawn nodded, still attempting to catch her breath. "Yeah… I cut it after, um, prom. You know, to try a new look…"

Misty studied her for a moment, a thoughtful expression on her face. Finally, she smiled. "It looks good on you. Oh, and that black eyeshadow you're wearing looks GORGEOUS on you! It goes so good with your outfit!"

Dawn smiled, a blush warming her cheeks at the compliments. "Thanks."

"You really do look amazing," Marina told her, smiling, and pulling her into a hug, thankfully not a death hug. "Like always, of course!"

"Yup!" Misty agreed, pulling her into a hug next. "Welcome back, Dawn!"

"Thanks," she said, smiling. She turned to Zoey next, who much to her surprise, also greeted her with a hug along with a pat on the back.

"Welcome back, kid," she said.

* * *

_Knock-knock. _

"Paul, are you okay?" Reggie's voice called from the other side of his door.

"I'm fine," he called gruffly back, still staring at the picture in his hand.

"You sure?" Reggie asked again.

"Positive," he said, finally putting the cut-out picture of Dawn down. "Never been better."

With those words of reassurance his brother finally walked away, leaving him in peace as he thought about everything and anything. After about a minute of thinking in this newfound silence, he decided fresh air would do him good.

Half an hour later he found himself in the forest that led to Lake Verity.

"Torterra, lets go!"

"Torrr!"

Paul issued a few commands for his pokémon to do before suddenly realizing he didn't want to train. Realizing this, he returned his pokémon, uttering a low grunt as he leaned against one of the forests many oak trees. For some reason he found it impossible to think about anything, his mind just a hurricane of thoughts and images.

Another half hour later he found himself back at his house again, and another half hour later he found himself driving. Where he was driving to, he wasn't sure. It just felt like something was pulling him someplace.

Two hours later he arrived in Veilstone.

* * *

"So how did the song go?" Dawn questioned May, licking her strawberry-flavored ice cream, served on a wafflecone.

"Well, to be honest I forgot most of the song," she sweat dropped at this. "But it really is a sweet and romantic song! It's just it has sort of complicated lyrics… you know, really long verses and lines and stuff, and you know how I'm mad at remembering stuff already."

"You never could remember your lines as the Nurse in drama class for the life of you," Dawn agreed, giggling.

"Thinking of that, May literally humiliated herself this year trying out for Wendy in the Peter Pan play they're having this year," Zoey told her, smirking.

May flushed at this remark, and exclaimed defensively, "Well, in my defense, I still got a _few_ of the lines right…"

"Yeah, a few," Zoey laughed.

"And only a few," Misty also laughed.

"Oh shut up," May grumbled, now slumping moodily back in her chair, her arms folded across her chest. Everybody laughed at this, laughter now filling that corner of the mall's food court.

"Oh, that is such a pretty ring," Marina said suddenly, taking notice of the piplup-shaped diamond and sapphire ring Dawn was wearing. "Where did you get it?"

"Oh." Dawn blushed. "A friend gave it to me."

"A friend?" Misty raised an eyebrow.

"More like a _boy_friend!" Leaf responded, grinning.

"Oooooh!"s filled the table.

"I-it's not like that!" Dawn stammered.

"Oh please," Misty scoffed. "What do you take us for, amateurs? Your blush tells all, Dawn."

_Stupid blush, _Dawn thought, her face growing even hotter in embarrassment.

"So you found a rebound boyfriend from Paul, huh," Zoey said, also smirking. "So whose the lucky man?"

"I-it's nobody," she stammered, concentrating with all her might on her ice cream cone, the pink ice cream starting to melt and dribble down the side.

"Liar!"

"Oh come on," Marina said. "We won't tell anybody, if that's what you're afraid of."

"Yeah," Leaf agreed. "We can keep secrets."

Dawn looked up, frowning sheepishly as she anxiously twisted the ring on her finger.

"This ring… Paul gave it to me."

Gasps filled the table.

"No way! You two are back together?" May exclaimed.

"I knew you two couldn't stay away from each other! It must be love!" Misty exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

"Ah, young love." Zoey sighed.

"I-it's not like," Dawn murmured, a blush crawling on her cheeks. "If anything, we're just friends. He… he doesn't even know it's me."

"What? Nonsense!" Misty declared. "He must know it's you. It's not like he thinks you're somebody else, like Marilyn Monroe or someone." She snorted.

Dawn remained quiet at this remark.

Misty blinked at this. "Wait… does he?"

She nodded. "Everybody calls me DeeDee at Twinleaf High and considering my mom got remarried and I now have 'June' as a last name, he thinks I'm actually somebody named DeeDee June."

"Idiot," Misty sighed. "It's always the promising ones that turn out to be idiots."

Zoey frowned at this. "And you let him believe this?"

Dawn nodded guility.

"I don't want him to believe I'm someone else. It's just… hard. After prom and everything. When he first came to Twinleaf and I realized he thought I was someone else, I decided I would go along with it until I graduated, and then I would move far away, so I could never see him again."

"But," Zoey said, just because she knew there was one coming.

"But it's like when we were at Veilstone. We're becoming closer again, and… I just don't want to hurt him."

"Even after everything he put you through at prom," Leaf murmured.

"After everything _we_ put you through," Misty added quietly.

"And everything I put _you_ guys through," Dawn said. "I'm sorry guys for ditching you at lunch and everywhere just to hang out with Paul. It was stupid of me to put a boy first and my best friends second."

"Hey, it's no problem," Misty replied softly back, smiling. "It's not like we all haven't ditched each other for a boy once. Like hey, remember when I cancelled on us at that one time at that beach party we planned one weekend just because Ash asked me to tutor him before finals week?"

Dawn nodded, smiling.

"And remember how I use to always ditch you guys at our routine Friday sleepovers just to go to the movies with Drew?" May asked, laughing now.

"And how I ditched you guys at that amusement park we went to the summer after ninth grade because Gary wanted me to go on The Terminator with him," Leaf reminiscent, a fond smile growing on her face.

"You missed out on the best cotton candy fight _ever_," Misty said, giggling.

"And remember how I use to always hang out with Jimmy at lunch when we first started going out?" Marina said. "You guys got so fed up with me, you threatened to cut off Pokabu's head."

"Pokabu," Leaf giggled. "Such an odd name for a tepig. How did Jimmy even come up with that name?"

Marina shrugged.

"All in all," Zoey said. "We've all ditched each other at least once for a boy."

"And when you started ditching us for a boy I guess we were just got jealous," May said.

"And scared," Misty added.

"That we were going to lose you as a friend," Marina continued. "Considering we were always so use to you being there, being the most faithful of us all, and then there you were, spending all your time with Paul, a boy you once declared you hated."

"We were scared and jealous and foolish," Leaf told her. "And we were irrational, deciding to just ditch you as a friend for doing something we all did, for being human."

"That said," Zoey said. "I think we can all agree we're hypocrites."

"Agree." They all chimed at once.

* * *

He drove past Dawn's old house. The house was still as empty as it had been when he last saw it on the last day of eleventh grade. There was something lonely, almost eerie, about the huge house and it's dark windows and untamed lawn.

Driving past more houses, he drove towards his old house, passed it, and then parked in front of the house next to his old one.

He quickly crossed the distance from his car to the front door and rapped loudly on the front door. He waited for a few moments, and soon enough, he could hear the thuds of footsteps as they came down the stairs.

The door opened in front of him, revealing a hatless, sleepy looking Ash. Ash's chocolate-colored eyes widened as he saw Paul, obviously shocked to see him.

"Paul?" he said, frowning, before breaking into a yawn. "What are you doing here?"

Paul raised an eyebrow at the bedraggled man. "Did you just now wake up?"

"Yeah. So?"

"It's two… in the evening…"

"Your point?"

Paul shook his head, sighing. Ash stepped to the side to let Paul in, closing the door behind the lavender-haired man.

"So what brings you here at this time of the day?" Ash asked cheerfully, walking into the kitchen. "Toast?"

He shook his head.

"Just needed to clear my head," he muttered.

"Ah. A lot of things going on akk at once, huh?" Ash asked. He nodded. "I feel ya, man. I felt the exact same way a few weeks ago, right before finals week. I was positive I was going to flunk all my tests, but I actually did pretty good. I only got four C's this time, then three B's, and of course, an A in Trainer's class."

"You actually passed that class?" Paul said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hey, not everybody thinks my strategies suck like you do," Ash told him, grinning. Just then the toaster dinged and his toast popped up, slightly charred around the edges. Taking out the butter and some peanut butter, and spreading them across his toast, Ash asked, "So what exactly was on your mind? Usually you don't come to my house when you need to clear your head. Actually, you _never_ come to my house. So what's the deal?"

Paul stared at the marble counter, debating on whether or not he should confide in Ash with his problems. Confiding in people was never his thing, and he wasn't quite sure he wanted to start a habit of confiding in people just yet, nonetheless with someone who could be as scatterbrained as Ash.

In the end, he decided not to.

"Have you heard from Dawn lately?" he asked instead.

Ash shook his head slowly, crumbs from his toast falling off the corner of his mouth and onto his shirt. Then suddenly his eyes lit up, and swallowing his mouthful of toast, he cheerfully said, "Actually yes! Misty and all the rest of Dawn's good friends are meeting up with her right now!"

Paul's eyes widened in surprise at this news. He hadn't thought Ash would actually _have _news on the whereabouts of his ex-girlfriend.

Noting Paul's shocked reaction, Ash smirked. "Yup. I believe they should be at the mall at this very moment. Or maybe they decided to go to the park. Hmm… Well, knowing them and their crazy adventures, they could be anywhere at this point." He shrugged, taking another bite out of his toast.

"Dawn is actually with Zoey and the others?" Paul asked again, still shocked. "I thought she wasn't talking to them."

"Well, she called them herself, and she's hanging out with them again, so she must be back to talking to them," Ash responded, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "It was only a matter of time. Despite what you may think of her Paul, she isn't exactly a coward. Dawn isn't the type of person to fully abandon a problem or situation. And when Dawn does something, it's for a reason, so she must have had a good reason for leaving Veilstone."

Paul took this information in, remaining silent.

"I gotta go." He said suddenly, standing up.

"Oh. Alrighty then. See you later then, I guess," Ash said.

Paul didn't reply back. Instead he got back into his truck and drove the two hours back home, his mind buzzing.

* * *

"Lets meet again soon!"

"We definitely have to do this again."

"It's so great getting to hang out again, all _six_ of us, finally back together."

"How about we meet again next Saturday, at Amity Square in Hearthome? Hearthome is close to being right between Twinleaf and Veilstone." Zoey suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Dawn said, smiling. For the first time in what felt like years, she was starting to feel like her old self.

"See you then."

* * *

"So where were you Saturday? I tried calling you but you didn't pick up." Leona told her.

"Oh, sorry about that. I was hanging out with some old friends." Dawn responded.

"Your old friends from…?" Leona asked, wary of Paul's presence on the other side of the table. Also shooting darting glances at Paul, Dawn nodded. "That's great. I'm proud of you, DeeDee. Finally getting your other friendships stitched up." Dawn smiled at this.

"Okay, listen up!" Roark called from the front of the classroom. "Everybody needs to get into a group of four! Pronto!"

"Looks like we already have our group of four!" Barry exclaimed cheerfully, referring to him, Paul, Dawn, and Leona. Nobody disagreed on this. "Ha, and we didn't even have to move. Suckers!"

Dawn rolled her eyes at Barry, turning back to the front of the class where Roark stood, ready to give further instructions.

"…_can't believe Paul likes that slut…" _a voice whispered from behind them.

Dawn tensed as she heard this. However, she kept looking forward, determined to ignore the voice that belonged to none other than Ami.

_"Yeah. Out of all the girls he could have taken to Snowpoint, he took that bitch."_ Another voice whispered.

_"What the hell was he thinking. She's such a loser. Such a wannabe."_

_Ignore them, _she told herself. She clenched her fists together, forcing herself to breathe in and breath out… in, out…

_It's not going to happen again, _she told herself, swallowing the lump in her throat. _Things are different now. Different. It won't happen… not again… no. It can't._

"Hey, are you okay?"

Inhaling sharply, she turned to Paul. Blinking, she tried to make sense of Paul's words. When she did, she nodded.

"Yeah. Perfect. No need to worry."

He just stared at her as if convinced otherwise, but said nothing in response.

Roark explained their assignment.

"_Soooo," _Leona said, turning to Paul. "What's with you? You're being awfully quiet today. Well, more quiet than usual anyways."

Paul narrowed his eyes at the brunette. "Nothing," he responded coldly back.

Dawn lifted an eyebrow, frowning slightly. Was he this way because of what she said to him in Snowpoint, on Christmas day? About her possibly being Dawn? She hadn't realized what a touchy subject she was for him.

Suddenly Paul's eyes flickered to her. She looked away, blushing slightly.

"Whatever, Mr. Grumpy-pants…" Leona muttered, writing another answer down on a worksheet Roark gave them. "Hmmm. Lets see, Togetic evolves into Togekiss with a shiny stone, right? Or does Togetic evolve by a Dawn stone? Hmm…"

"Heh. A Dawn stone," Barry snorted. "Whatever! Being named after berries is so much cooler than being named after a stone!"

"Barry!" Dawn hissed. She nervously glanced at Paul, but he appeared to be focused on writing down answers.

Dawn turned to her own worksheet.

_Identify which stone is being described._

…

_11. Is as red as the sun._

_Sun Stone._

_12. Stops evolution._

_Everstone._

_12. Sparkles like eyes._

Dawn had to stop and think about this one.

"Which stone sparkles like eyes?" she asked, clueless on which stone was being described.

"The Dawn stone," Paul told. "You should know that," he added, finally glancing up to look at her.

Dawn nodded. "Okay. Thanks."

She finished the rest of the problems on that page and flipped it over to the back.

_Identify the stone._

On the back page there were numerous pictures of the all kinds of evolutionary stones they were learning about.

She identified the first three easily. They were the leaf stone, fire stone, and water stone. The next one she had to think about, but she eventually identified it as the thunderstone. The next stone was blue and shiny.

The shiny stone? Dawn attempted to remember what the shiny stone looked like. Was the shiny stone blue or that yellowish-green color?

"Is the shiny stone blue?" she asked Leona. Leona looked at her, and then at her paper.

"Beats me," she responded, shrugging. "I think the shiny stone is purple though."

"The purple stone is the dusk stone," Barry responded. "Geez, Leona. Even I knew that."

"Oh." She sweat dropped. "Oops! I guess the shiny stone is blue then!"

"The blue stone isn't the shiny stone," Paul responded blankly without looking up. He was still busy working on the worksheet. "The blue stone is the Dawn stone."

"Are you sure?" Leona asked. "It could still be this yellowish-green one."

Paul shook his head. "The Dawn stone is the blue one."

"And how do you remember it's the blue one and not the other one?" Leona asked, still not convinced the Dawn stone was blue.

Paul's eyes darted to Dawn for a millisecond before turning back to Leona.

"The stone is suppose to sparkle like eyes, isn't it?"

"It still doesn't explain how you remember the stone is blue," Leona responded defiantly back, glaring at him.

"Her eyes are blue, aren't they?" he growled, pointing a thumb towards Dawn.

Leona turned towards her, and carefully studying her face, saw that her eyes indeed were blue. Leona scowled slightly at this, finally admitting defeat. "Ugh. Fine. I guess that is the Dawn stone then…"

"Hey, that's a clever way of remembering which stone is the Dawn stone!" Barry chirped. "I'm going to have to remember that for our next test!"

Paul just scowled, looking annoyed. Dawn just stared at him though, confused.

Just then the ten-minute bell rang.

"Keep working!" Roark ordered.

When the bell that dismissed class rang ten minutes later, she turned in her worksheet along with the rest of her group before following Paul out the door.

"Hey, are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine." He responded gruffly back, brushing pass her. Dawn wouldn't have that though. She walked beside him, matching his pace, and placed a hand on his arm, halting him.

"Are you sure?" she asked. Her hand was still on his arm. "You've been acting pretty odd lately. Is this because of what I said to you at Snowpoint City?"

Paul just remained quiet, his black eyes staring intensely back into hers. She shifted uneasily, suddenly feeling as if he was able to see right through her.

"Actually," he said suddenly, startling her slightly. "There is something…" Dawn felt her insides jump when he grabbed her hand and led her around a corner, behind a building, away from everyone else.

She felt skittish suddenly, and she fidgeted uncomfortably as he watched her.

"Paul, what is it?" she questioned, tilting her head to the side.

Her hair fell over her shoulders along with her bangs which fell in front of her eyes. She was about to brush them away, but Paul brushed them away first. She blushed as his fingertips grazed her forehead, and she felt even more nervous now as he stood closer to her. Looking up, her eyes met with Paul's smoldering onyx eyes once more.

Immediately she felt conflicted. Emotions began to churn inside of her like waves, and she felt scared by the sudden whirlwind of emotions she felt.

"Paul?"

"Shh. I need to see if …" He didn't finish his sentence; he frowned, as if he didn't know how to finish that sentence.

He cupped her chin and tilted it upwards, his eyes still smoldering into hers. Dawn could see the confusion and curiosity present in his eyes, the emotions in his eyes standing out like they were embers in a deep pit of coal.

Dawn felt her eyes flutter close out of habit as he leaned in closer. Their lips touched, but only for a few seconds. She was surprised when she felt nothing out of the kiss. His lips had touched hers but that was all. She felt cold all over.

When she opened her eyes again, she saw Paul wasn't looking at her. He didn't even say anything as he walked pass her and headed for his next class. Dawn watched him go, dazed.

_What was that all about?_

* * *

Paul didn't talk to her for the rest of the week, and she didn't bother to try to make conversation with him. When he wasn't looking though she would shoot him nervous glances, wondering why he was acting so strange all of a sudden.

It wasn't until two weeks later when they finally spoke to each other again.

Dawn looked up as she felt someone hover above her desk.

"So what, are you and Paul broken up now or something?" Ami sneered at her, flipping her rose-colored curls over her shoulder.

Dawn frowned. "We were never going out."

Ami raised a rose-colored eyebrow, her hands on her hips. It was obvious she didn't believe her.

"Fine," she sighed. "Believe whatever you want, Ami. Now can you go?"

"Not until I hear the _fabulous_ reason why you two broke up," Ami responded, laughing. "So lemme guess: he finally got sick of you and your moody ways? He decided he didn't like girls who wears all black one day and then all pink the next? Too confusing for him I guess. Or did he finally just wake up and smell the roses and realized he could do so much better than _you_?"

Dawn sighed, folding her arms over her chest. She shook her head, tsk-ing. "It's so sad how insecure you are, Ami. Maybe you should go see a couselor about your insecurity problems, hm?"

Ami just smirked. "I don't have insecurity problems, DeeDee. But maybe you go see a counselor about your phobia with Minuns and Plusles."

"I got over my phobia in fifth grade," she responded icily back, glaring at the rosette.

"If you say so," she laughed, walking away.

Dawn glared at the back of her head, her fists clenched in her lap. She felt tears beginning to sting her eyes. She wasn't even dating Paul, and already her relationship with him was under speculation from the rest of the student body. Calling her names and everything else under the sun, coming up with vicious rumors about what they do and don't do. She couldn't figure out why people just couldn't just mind their own business for once.

As she blinked back the tears threatening to fall from the frustration and anger welling up inside her, she thought about her kiss with Paul exactly two weeks ago. She felt more tears well up inside her as she then thought of their wonderful time at Snowpoint and their battle at Lake Verity. She then thought about all the wonderful, fun and good moments they had back when they were dating in Veilstone. Lastly, she thought of prom, the night she lost everything. She felt anguish numb her whole body.

_I can't do this again, _she thought suddenly. _I can't go through this again. I can't deal with the rumors and the speculation. I can't deal with the mean girls and their sneers. I can't deal with dating Paul again…_

With those thoughts in mind, she made a decision.

She would tell Paul.

As if reading her thoughts, the bell for school to end rang. Quickly she gathered up her belongings, and hurried out of the class. She saw Paul immediately, his odd hair color standing out among all the rest.

She pushed her way through the crowd, knocking over freshmen on the way.

"Paul!"

The plum-haired man turned around as he heard his name being called. His eyes traveled through the crowd, stopping when they saw her. She ran towards him, stopping in front of him.

"There's something I need to tell you," she said. Paul just looked at her, his eyes cold. Dawn felt nervous suddenly in his presence; she was confused by the coldness in his eyes.

The school grounds emptied as kids hurried to their buses and parent's cars, soon leaving only the two of them. Dawn felt tongue-tied, suddenly not sure why she had called him, her mind blank.

Why did she call him here again?

"Well?" Paul demanded, his voice as cold as his eyes.

Dawn's eyes widened in shock from his coldness. "I… I…" She swallowed, thinking hard. "I came here to tell you something…" she told him, suddenly not sure she wanted to tell him who she was when he was in this kind of mood.

"Well, get on with it," he growled.

Dawn remained silent however, tongue tied once more. She felt a lump growing in her throat the size of the Sinnoh region.

Paul rolled his eyes, grunting in annoyance. He walked pass her.

"I don't have time for this crap, Dawn."

Dawn's eyes widened, and she turned towards him, and having stopped too to turn around to face her, her eyes met his. All she saw in his eyes was an ice cold wall.

She understood. He hadn't accidentally slipped her name this time. This time he was calling her out for who she really was. Which in this case, was a fraud. A fraud named Dawn.

Ashamed, she averted her gaze to the ground.

"I was going to tell you," she told him, her voice soft.

"You didn't need to tell me," he responded coldly back.

She looked up again. "I didn't mean to deceive you. You just thought… and I…"

Paul's glare hardened and she stopped talking, pursing her lips together. It was funny how she felt perfectly warm up until the moemtn she met up with him again. His glare was colder than traveling in nothing but underwear during a blizzard in Snowpoint City. It gave her a chill not even the coldest Twinleaf breeze could give her.

When she found the nerve to speak again, she found herself looking pass his shoulder.

"I didn't ask for this to happen," she said softly, sighing exhaustively. "I didn't ask to move to Twinleaf and I didn't ask for you to also move here."

"And neither did I," Paul growled.

Dawn just nodded grimly.

"I know you're mad at me. You probably even hate me. You probably hate me even more than you already did. And I suppose you will never forgive me for this."

He remained silent, still glaring icily at her.

"But for your information, I still haven't forgiven you," she said. She looked back at him, giving him her own frosty glare. "I still haven't forgotten what you did to me at prom."

"You brought that on yourself," Paul growled. Dawn just brushed pass him.

"And you brought _this_ on yourself," she responded smoothly back. She glanced back at him over her shoulder and smiled. "Isn't karma an ass, Paul?"

"What comes around, goes around," he agreed blankly.

With that said, the two departed ways, a cold atmosphere settling in over them, both their hearts guarded with iron.

_.x._

_Their love was like iron  
__Stronger than the toughest pokémon  
__It extends beyond the Earth's core  
__There was no one they ever loved more  
__Loving each other, is like iron in their blood  
__The day they stop the sun will turn to mud  
__They are drawn to each like other like an iron to a magnet  
__But they are continuously pushed to the limit  
__The limit of breaking  
__Until it's nothing but hating  
__Hating ever loving the other  
__But in the end,  
__This will only make them stronger  
__Until their love is stronger than iron_

* * *

**Iron**: _Chemical Elements_ Metallic Element - a heavy magnetic malleable ductile lustrous silvery-white metallic element used for a variety of engineering and structural products. It is also present in very small quantities in the blood. It is the fourth most abundant element in the earth's crust and is believed to make up 80 percent of the planet's core.

**Well, hopefully that wasn't too dramatic. **

**So finally the truth comes out! Now what will happen next? Only I, the great TbiF, knows the answer to that question! Mwahahaha! *is shot* XP**

**So… um. I don't really have any questions for you guys except what do you think will happen next. And also, the title for next chapter will be called blood diamonds, so feel free to speculate on that. Also random fact: I wrote most of this chapter while listening to "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Greenday. The atmosphere of that song fits perfectly with this chapter, imo. :]**

**Honestly, this is my favorite chapter so far. :] It only took me three nights to write this too! 8D (I was going to update next week, thinking I wasn't going to finish this chapter in time, but luckily this chapter was pretty easy to write once I figured out what I wanted to do with this chapter).**

**Now review? I was hoping to get to 360 reviews this chapter! 8D**


	17. Blood Diamonds

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **AU. Part 2: Platinum. She is the diamond that broke; he is the pearl that longs to be someone else. They were platinum, but they couldn't take the heat. Both were hurt and betrayed, but perhaps a second chance in Twinleaf can set things right. Ikarishipping!

_**PART TWO**_—**_Platinum_**

**Chapter Seventeen**

"_Not until I hear the _fabulous_ reason why you two broke up."_

Lipstick was on the mirror.

Diamond rings were out, scattered across the bathroom counter.

"_So lemme guess: he finally got sick of you and your moody ways? He decided he didn't like girls who wear all black one day and then all pink the next?"_

In the mirror there was a blue-haired girl with a straightening iron in one hand, nails recently painted a bright pink, her make up bright and cheery and her clothes materialistic. A diamond D necklace sparkled in the bathroom's weak light along with several diamond bracelets and diamond rings.

Smoothing the short-sleeved leather jacket she wore over a black and white striped shirt, she smiled at herself in the mirror, running a hand through her blue tresses. Turning a few degrees, she marveled quite conceitedly at how amazing her butt looked in the dark blue jean skirt with amber tints and fringed edges.

"_Or did he finally just wake up and smell the roses and realized he could do so much better than _you?_"_

Dawn smirked, flipping her hair over her shoulders.

"Bitch, I'll show you just how much better I am than _you_."

* * *

White heels clicked against the hard concrete floor. A small metallic hand bag with a long skinny strap that held all of Dawn's belongings for the school day swung from beneath her armpits. The wind blew at her hair, making it fan out behind her. Her hips swayed as she walked, and Dawn knew she must have looked like a model doing a catwalk as she crossed the school grounds.

It was like the part of a movie where a totally gorgeous girl suddenly walked in and time slowed down as everybody gawked at her. She could almost hear a song playing in the background to go with the perfect moment.

She could feel eyes boring into her back and she smiled at the guys she caught staring at her, wide-eyed, and practically drooling over her transformation. She even smiled at the girls, who were glaring at her with envy.

Just then Dawn caught sight of Ami who looked like a volcano ready to blow as she stomped all the way from across the school to accost her. Dawn smiled at the pink-haired devil.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, DeeDee?" she spat, nostril flaring.

"Now, now, I think we're both grown up enough to stop calling each other by silly nicknames and start calling each other by our real name, Amethyst," she responded smoothly back.

"Don't call me that," she hissed. "You dirty slut!"

Dawn just smirked. "Oh, so it's okay for you to dress this way everyday, yet when I start dressing the same way _I_'m a dirty slut? Hypocritical much, Amethyst?"

"Shut up," she snarled.

She laughed. "You don't have to be jealous Ami just because all eyes aren't on you for once." Turning away, she brushed pass her. "The spotlight can be shared, Ami, so don't be a spotlight hog."

Dawn smiled. She knew she had won this round.

Just then the bell for school to start rang.

"Whoa, looking good," Leona said as she entered English. Dawn smiled, grateful for the compliment, and took her seat next to the brunette.

Dawn knew everybody (or at least every boy in class minus a certain plum-haired boy who hadn't shown up yet) was staring at her, amazed by her transformation from weird-gothic-girl-and-even-weirder-pink-frenzy-girl-every-other-day to classy material girl in one day.

The one-minute bell rang and in walked Paul. He took one glance at her and then looked away, clearly unimpressed. She just rolled her eyes however. She wasn't out to impress him anyway. She just wanted to show-up Ami, something she had already accomplished. Tomorrow she would be back to wearing her old Veilstone clothes, finally packing away her Twinleaf clothes…well, except the skinny jeans. And the shirts with piplups on them.

"Back to wearing your old Veilstone clothes?" Leona asked.

She shook her head.

"Nah! My style in Veilstone was more of a pink princess bordering on piplup obsessed and anything cute. This outfit is just something to show up Ami."

"Did you show her up?"

"Yup."

The two high-fived, giggling.

"Okay, everybody calm down… And boys, stop drooling, and turn your eyes to _me_!" Dawn giggled as all the boys reluctantly turned their eyes away from her and towards Professor Juniper.

She could see Ami on the opposite side of the classroom, who looked ready to blow a fuse. Paul, who sat two desks ahead of her, looked indifferent aside from the clenched fists on his desk. Dawn smirked at this.

Ami: 0  
Paul: 0  
Dawn: 2

Such sweet payback.

"Okay, I need everybody to find a partner!" Professor Juniper announced. Her and Leona immediately linked arms. This resulted in all the boys turning away, disappointed, as they searched for new potential partners.

Dawn casually glanced around the classroom, looking for Paul, to see who his partner would be. To her surprise (okay, so maybe she wasn't really _that_ surprised) she saw Ami talking to him, and to her even greater surprise, she saw that Paul was listening to her and even said something back. The greatest surprise of all though was that Ami smiled, for once not scowling from rejection.

Just then Paul turned her way. Quickly, she glanced away, pretending to examine her nails.

"Okay, so does everybody have a partner? Okay, good! So what we will be doing is a mini book report on the book we've been reading in class: you can choose to do a skit on a small but important part of the story, you can write a song based on the story or an important part of that story, or you can choose to do a collage with pictures that represents important events in the story. Either way, you'll be presenting your book report in front of the class. You have until Thursday to finish. Everybody will be presenting either Thursday or Friday. You have all day today and tomorrow. Any questions?"

A boy raised his hand.

"Yes?"

"How long does the skit how to be?"

"Somewhere between three to five minutes," Professor Juniper responded. "I would like to keep the presentations short. Any other questions?"

The class was silent.

"Good. Begin."

"We should do a skit," Leona said immediately.

"Agree," Dawn said.

"Now which skit should we do?" Leona murmured, flipping through the pages of the book they were reading, _The Tale of the Morpher_ by some guy born in the 1800s who was famous for some poetry and novels he wrote.

The book was suppose to be about a beautiful girl who turns into an eevee at night and is abandoned by her family after being cursed by a witch, and is then adopted by a good-hearted wife and husband who always wanted a kid. By the middle of the book she met some guy who she fell in love with, and by the end of the book, her curse was broken and they got married. The book actually reminded her a lot of Beauty and the Beast and Shrek…

"We should do the scene where Annabeth meets Isabel!" Leona exclaimed suddenly. "That's an important scene since Isabel decided to adopt Annabeth after hearing about her past and her curse."

"But isn't that scene kind of long?" Dawn asked.

"Well…" Leona turned a few pages. "Kind of…but it's not like we need to do the whole scene. We can shorten the scene."

"Okay then," Dawn said, taking out a notebook and a pencil. She flipped to the first empty page in the notebook and then titled the page _'Book Report: TotM: Annabeth-Isabel Scene'_. "So let's list the main details that happened in the scene and then decide what to exclude."

"Alrighty then. Well, first Annabeth is on the street. She is looking for change to buy food since she hasn't eaten a thing in days. Then Isabel comes by and sees her. She gives her a one-hundred dollar bill and asks her where her parents are. She explains to Isabel that her parents abandoned her when she was young. Isabel asks why they abandoned her, but Annabeth stays quiet, afraid to admit that they abandoned her because of her curse. Isabel then offers to take her home and—"

"Stop! I think this would be perfect for a scene." Dawn handed her the notebook and Leona read it over.

"I guess this should do. Now we just have to write an actual script," Leona said. "I can do that, but we will need two copies. One for me, and one for you."

"And another copy in case one of us loses ours," Dawn said.

"Perfect!"

"Ooh!" Dawn exclaimed suddenly. "We should dress up for the skit!"

"Oh, that would be so much fun!" Leona agreed. "But first: whose going to do who?"

"I can do Annabeth," Dawn offered. "I don't mind dressing in rags."

"Okay, then I'll be Isabel," Leona said. "I don't have anything that is too expensive though."

"That's okay; you can borrow some of my mom's stuff," she replied. "My mom has some pretty old-fashioned, expensive looking clothes in her closet. She won't even they're missing."

"Awesome! Then—" Leona stopped talking suddenly, her eyes glued to something behind her. Curious, Dawn looked behind her, wondering what Leona was looking at. Then she saw what—or _who_—she was staring at.

"Looks like Ami is trying to steal your ex-boyfriend," Leona said quietly.

"I don't care." She said, turning back around. "They're only partners for two days. Nothing is going to come out of it."

Leona just pursed her lips and nodded, still not fully convinced.

* * *

Three class periods and a lunch period later and they were in Geology.

The first thing Dawn noticed when she walked in was that Ami was sitting next to Paul and was actually talking to him. And what more? _He was talking back._ As far as she knew he didn't even like Ami because she was one of those "stuck up, popular girls". Just then Paul turned away. She didn't miss the smirk that crawled onto his lips upon seeing her.

That bastard.

_You're on, _she thought.

Fluffing up her hair she took her usual seat across from him, and pointedly ignoring the two in front of her, took a pencil out from her backpack. While taking her homework out she "accidentally" dropped her pencil. Like she guessed. Conner, who sat right at the table behind her, leaned over and picked it up for her.

"I believe you dropped this," he said, flashing her a charming smile. Conner was one of the most popular guys at school and was a really tough pokémon trainer, so she knew he probably expected her to be swooning right now. However, she did not swoon.

"Thank you," she said, taking the pencil back from him, and flashed him her own smile, which made _him_ swoon.

Still ignoring Ami and Paul, she turned back to her homework to check over answers.

"Hey, I think Connor likes you," a voice said suddenly. Looking up, she saw Barry who was smirking at her. _Thank you, Barry, _she thought, truly meaning it.

Dawn just pursed her lips together, and casually glancing over her shoulder to look at Connor, said, "Does he now?"

"He certainly can't stop staring at you," he responded. "Actually, everybody's been staring at you today. I mean, what's up with that? Is everybody in some perverted mood today or something?"

Dawn just laughed at this, actually amused.

Leona, who had just entered the classroom a few moments earlier, said, "Nah! All the guys just have the hots for Dawn today."

"Leona!" Dawn said, playfully smacking her arm.

"Meanwhile all the other girls, minus me of course, are just green with envy over Dawn," Leona said, grinning. She then glanced at Ami whose eyes were now narrowed at her and snickered.

Also glancing over at them, Dawn saw Paul lean over suddenly, whispering something in her ear that made her giggle. Unconsciously, Dawn felt her hands clench underneath the table. She forced herself to look away and turned her attention elsewhere.

_That bastard._

She could hear her teeth ground together as she heard Ami say "that is so true!"

_And that bitch!_

"Hey, DeeDee," a voice called behind her.

_It's Dawn, you jackass!_ She thought defiantly in her mind as she reluctantly turned to face Connor, a forced smile on her face.

"Yeah?"

He gave her another swoon-worthy crooked smile which would have had any other girl red in the face and gasping for breath. "Here's the deal: me, you, Saturday night, at six, my place."

Smiling, she responded back, "Here's the deal: me, friends, Saturday night, all day, not your place." Turning away, she called over her shoulder, "I'm busy."

_Burn._

Now if only that was Paul…

"That was cold," Leona said.

Dawn just shrugged. "What? I'm busy that day. I'm not going to cancel on my friends for some guy." Then she smiled, an idea having suddenly popped in her head, "Hey, you should come with us Leona! We're just going to be hanging around Twinleaf all day, so you should come and finally meet them."

Leona's smile also brightened along with her eyes, and was about to say something, before Ami finally broke her silence (towards them).

"You actually have more than one friend, DeeDee? A gang of wannabe losers I suppose, just as tacky and untalented as your _other_ friend."

Dawn probably would have smirked confidently as this remark, quickly shooting back her own remark on how she was just jealous and insecure and badly needed to grow up, however she quickly picked up on the remark she made about Leona.

"_Excuse me?"_ she said, quickly standing up. She could feel the anger crawl beneath her skin as she watched a smirk crawl onto Ami's lips like an ugly caterpie, obviously thinking she won.

"Leona is not tacky and untalented you dumb, eavesdropping little pink-haired—!"

"Dawn, calm down!" Leona interrupted, looking nervous. "Just ingore her."

Dawn looked at her then back at Ami who was still looking victorious over making her mad. She thought of the last few moments and recalled the words that had gone over in her mind when she was yelling at Ami and realized she had been seconds away from calling Ami a skank.

_She is a skank, _she thought, still seething over Ami's remark over her best friend.

"What's the matter, DeeDee? Meowth got your tongue?" Ami smirked, obviously pleased with the sudden turn of events.

She wanted to flip Ami off right then and there. She wanted to tell Ami to go back to whoring over Paul like the whore she was, however she held off those words, deciding to be the better of the two. She was also aware of Roark watching the two of them from the corner of his eyes as he got the work for today ready.

And so instead of telling Ami off in front of the entire class, she turned her back to Ami and promptly ignored her for the rest of the class, despite the rude comments Ami was now clearly making to Paul just across from her.

So silently she seethed throughout all of Geology, calling Ami and Paul every dirty name under the sun and rambling to herself about what a traitor Paul was for even listening to Ami.

That didn't stop Ami though from confronting her and Leona after class though.

"Hey Loser," she said, looking directly at Leona. She then turned her stare, and smirk, to Dawn, "Hey Reject." Ami was clinging onto one of Paul's arm, that nerve-gratingly annoying smirk on her lips. Seeing this made Dawn feel even closer to snapping a fuse.

Dawn was just going to walk pass her, but her (and Paul, being dragged wherever Ami went) blocked her path.

"What are we, kindergarteners?" she asked, an annoyed scowl on her face. "Get out of my way, Ami."

"But why?" she asked innocently. "We're just having a conversation together."

"You call this a conversation? I call it being bullied," Dawn snorted. "Now get out of my way."

"Oh, don't be mad," Ami cooed, her smirk turning devilish. Dawn knew what was coming next and she felt herself tense as she felt herself reach her boiling point. "Just because Paul doesn't like you anymore."

Dawn felt the anger wash over her like a heat wave, but she did her best to ignore it, as she tried her best to keep her voice as level as she turned to Paul, "Aww, you don't like me anymore? How sad, I think I may cry." She knew she was scowling as she said the last few words.

Paul just scowled back at her. "At least I'm not a liar," he said.

"I never lied to you; it's not my fault you get tricked so easily," she responded coldly back, glaring daggers at him.

"Well, maybe you should stop acting like somebody you're not," he retorted back.

Daw was silent for a moment, shocked at these words, before finally replying back, "I'm not acting like somebody I'm not. I'm acting like the person I am a that moment."

"And right now you're acting like a wannabe cool person with those cheap, ugly clothes and fake diamonds you're wearing," Ami sneered.

Suddenly Dawn smiled. "They're not fake."

"Please," Ami said. "I know a fake when I see one."

"Well then you must be seeing your reflection in my diamonds," Dawn said, still smiling as she gently caressed the diamonds on the necklace her deceased father had given her. "Because these diamonds are real. Even ask Paul. He'll tell you the _truth_." she said, purposely emphasizing _truth._

"Well?" Ami asked, scowling as she turned towards Paul. Dawn turned to him too, her smile gone as she waited for his response, confident.

Paul hesitated, then said, "They're real."

Ami turned away from him, scowling.

"And the diamonds aren't the only real things. The sapphires are real, too," she smirked as she showed Ami the diamond-and-sapphire piplup ring on her right ring finger. She then turned to Paul. "Isn't that right, Paul?"

Paul just remained silent.

"You really do have no life," Ami hissed, furious now.

"I can tell you I have more of a life than you," Dawn retorted, her smile vanishing as she returned to glaring at Ami.

"At least I have a boyfriend!" she almost screamed back.

"Ami!" Paul hissed under his breath. "We're not boyfriend and girlfriend!"

"But you agreed to go on a date with me, so we are dating!" Ami declared, looking victorious again as she turned to smirk at Dawn. Dawn didn't hear her though. She felt as if an ice cube had gone down her back.

"Whatever," she said quietly, brushing pass the two of them. "Have fun being couple of the year. You two are perfect for each other."

* * *

"Why did you do that?" Paul asked, annoyed.

"Do what?" Ami replied innocently.

"Tell her about a date which we haven't even _had_ yet," Paul retorted as they walked together to Trainer's class, a class they had together.

"Well, she was gloating!" Ami whined.

"Only because _you_ started it," he responded. "And it's just one date. It's nothing special to be gloating about."

"It is when your date is the stronger trainer in school," she responded, smiling at him. Paul sighed. She frowned at his sigh, and then sighed too. "I'm sorry. I know I said I would try to be nicer, but… it's just… I don't know how to, I guess… there's just something about her…"

"You are jealous of her, aren't you?" Paul asked blankly.

Ami scowled immediately. "Of course not! Why would I be jealous of _her?_"

"Ami."

Ami sighed, pouting slightly. "Sorry… but I'm still not jealous of her!"

"Just try to be nicer to Dawn from now on, okay?" he said.

The rosette sniffed. "Fine. But why do you get to be all cold towards her and stuff?" she asked. "It I have to be nicer to her, then you should too."

Paul's eyes darkened suddenly. "That's different."

"How?"

"It just is," he responded coldly back.

_Geez. Talk about a hypocrite, _Ami thought as she rolled her eyes and sighed, following Paul into the Trainer's gym where the class was held daily.

"What is it between you two anyways?" Ami asked, much to Paul's annoyance. He couldn't understand why she just couldn't drop the subject. She got her date with him, shouldn't be happy. "I mean, it's like there's some hidden story to you too, something that is a mystery to the world that only you two know. What's up with that?"

"It's nothing," Paul growled.

"You two went out at one time didn't you?" Ami continued, frowning curiously. "I mean when you first came here, you two hated each other, then you two were acting like, smitten with each other, and now you're like giving each other the cold shoulder."

"Ami," Paul growled. _Just shut the hell up already. Shut up!_

But she wouldn't. She just wouldn't get the message.

"I'm just curious," she responded, shrugging. "So did she like break up with you, or did you break up with her? I mean gosh, she went from Goth girl to glamour diva all in one day."

"_Damn it, Ami, shut up!" _Paul hissed, his eyes blazing.

Ami's frown deepened, and she shifted her posture uncomfortably as their teacher called out names, taking attendant. She was silent for a moment, then said, unable to keep her thoughts or opinions quiet for a moment longer,

"I'm just saying, it's like she's trying to show you off," she said quickly. "Going from Goth girl to glam girl, after a break up, is like saying 'screw you' in girl language. It doesn't help that every guy is suddenly ogling her up, too, ya know?" She cringed at this last part, sniffing, still bitter over the fact it wasn't her the boys were ogling at. "I mean, she has basically moved on. 'Bye, bye. You had me, but you lost your chance, and so now I'm moving on with the rest of my life.' A life that doesn't include _you_."

Paul was aware that Ami was just rambling off her thoughts, a habit of hers that could be extremely annoying at times, especially now.

"Ami, shut the fuck up already!" He snarled just loudly enough to catch the interest of the people next to them, his eyes literally cold flames as he turned to face her. Paul took in Ami's eyes as they widened and her mouth which had dropped open a bit in shock. Closing her mouth, she sniffed, turning away from him, feeling upset.

_Stupid mouth, _Ami thought. _Why can't I just keep it shut for once?_

It was too late to ask herself that though. The words were out and said, echoing in Paul's mind, bringing him to a boiling point. Saying the words over in his mind though, Paul realized the truth in the words. Dawn was moving on. By reverting back to her old self, she had told him 'screw you, I'm through with you, I don't need you'.

The words still echoed in Paul's mind as Trainer's class as he listened to Wake give a quick lecture about the importance of figuring out one's strategy and then countering it with a strategy of their own, and battled two trainers, winning both times.

As his last class slowly passed by, he thought about all her actions and words that day. As he did, he felt his fists clench together and he had to ground his teeth together in order to help restrain his anger and sudden need for vengeance.

_She thinks this is a game, _he realized that period. _A game she can win… but she's wrong. She's not going to win. Not this time. _

The bell for school to end rang.

All the anger and cold resentment for everything around him that had been doing him wrong all his life was boiling up inside him, slowly but steadily building up. Maybe all this anger and resentment, like hot water, had been building up inside of him for a long time, ever since his father left, gone unnoticed until now when he most needed to vent.

And what better way to vent then hurt the one you love?

Not physically, of course. Never physically.

He didn't know what it was though that brought this sudden wave of anger and resentment upon him. Maybe it was his inner-instincts to be the alpha male. Maybe it was just to show her she was wrong.

Paul spotted Ami, not far off, looking irritated at something Dawn was saying to another girl, a new girl—Lyra—about something. Her lips were pursed, however, indicating she _was_ trying to be a little nicer to Dawn, if only by controlling her temper and keeping a few nasty remarks to herself.

Dawn spotted him first, her eyes narrowing in suspicion and wonder as she watched him approach, nodding and occasionally responding to Lyra about something they were talking about.

Paul felt a smirk slide over his lips as he walked over to Ami, Dawn's eyes still on him he knew, as he slid an arm around her waist pulling her close.

Ami looked speechless at this move.

Finally, she said: "Oh, my."

His smirk widened as out of the corner of his eye he saw Dawn's hands balled into fists at her sides, her face contorted into anger.

They made eye contact.

It was just for a moment, but in that moment one thing was made clear:

It was on.

* * *

"Blood diamonds," as Roark was explaining a few days later in class, "are like any other diamonds. Or at least, they look like any other diamonds. Blood diamonds are also referred to as conflict diamonds or war diamonds, and are diamonds that come from war. That is the biggest difference between a blood diamond and a regular diamond. Blood diamonds fund war in lower, usually undeveloped regions."

It was Friday that day, and to say the least, it was not Dawn's most favorite day so far.

First, the day started off with English where the remaining class had to perform their book report. Her and Leona had already done theirs the previous day, just wanting to get it over with and all, but today Paul and Ami had to present their book report which happened to be a skit of one of the more romantic parts of the story between Annabeth and Edgar. Over all, their skit was seven minutes long and consisted of about five minutes of dancing while holding a conversation, a love confession, a proposal where Ami had overdramatically accepted Paul's "proposal" with a hug. (In the book, they had actually kissed after Edgar proposed, but Professor Juniper had made it clear she would not tolerate kissing in her classroom—skit or no skit).

Second of all, she was on her way to third period when she quickly veered into a corner when she bumped into Paul (déjà vu, much?) and unfashionably landed on her butt. Humiliating, yes, but at least he had offered to help her up, even if he acted as if doing so was a great burden to him.

Then thirdly, but most certainly would not be the last of all things to add to the list of horribleness that had been that day, while in aerobics, doing a simple dance routine, she had somehow lost her footing while dancing and tripped and fell in front of the whole class. This was a double loss to her. Not only did her arm now feel bruised and swollen, but she had officially also had her ego bruised as she realized how quickly she was losing her touch with things that were once easy for her: dancing, flips, etc., and could never be a real cheerleader ever again without bringing shame to cheerleaders everywhere.

Of course that was just her dramatic and bruised ego talking. Or maybe it was the painkillers. Thinking of painkillers, she could really use another one. Her arm was beginning to throb again.

_Well, at least Ami hasn't really been a real bitch lately every since Tuesday, _Dawn had thought glumly while in the nurse's office while waiting for the kind pink-haired nurse (who suspiciously looked like the nurse from Veilstone High…) to check up on her and her arm.

She was still aware of the rosette scowling at her from time to time, obviously disagreeing with something she had just said, but Dawn could see she was making an effort at ignoring her and her infuriating opinions, thus reducing bitchiness from her.

_Maybe Paul dating her could actually be a good thing, _she thought, although she still felt bitter at the whole idea.

"Here are the permission slips to go on our field trip to Eterna Forest."

Dawn blinked, and realized she had blanked out there for a second. Roark had moved on from his lecture concerning blood diamonds to the topic of their field trip to Eterna Forest just next Saturday.

"This permission slip needs to be signed and turned in by Wednesday, _at the latest,_ if you want to participate in this field trip," Roark was explaining. "We will be leaving for the forest Saturday morning and will be returning late Sunday afternoon. That means we'll be camping out. We'll be hunting through Eterna Forest for the moss rock, and, if you're all good, we'll also go visit the Old Chateau in the forest."

Excited murmurs rippled throughout the classroom at this remark.

"Along with your permission slip I'll also be passing out a checklist of what you'll need for the trip."

Dawn sighed as she looked over the list, and laid her head on the desk, feeling utterly exhausted. Her head turned towards the window, she could see something like black rain clouds outside along with a dirty fog.

_Gosh, looks like there's a bad storm coming, _she thought to herself, half dazed. She didn't notice the fact that the "clouds" were just on one side of the school. She could also hear a distant wailing in the background.

"Dawn…" Leona called quietly, softly shaking her hurt arm.

"Ow, quit it!" she grumbled.

"Oops, sorry! I thought it was your other arm you hurt," she said, sweat dropping. "Hey, are you alright?"

Sitting up, she yawned, stretching her arms high up behind her head. "Perfect," she muttered, laying her head down again, this time facing Leona.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Leona asked. "You look sick."

"I'm just tired," she replied. "It's been a long day."

"Ah."

As the excitement of the field trip died down, the classroom became quiet again, only murmurs now filling the class. The class was so quiet now she could even hear Paul and Ami talking quietly across the other side of the table.

"So how do you like my outfit today?" Ami asked.

Paul just grunted a response.

"Oh, come on," Ami teased, giggling. "You know you like it!"

"It's okay, I guess," he mumbled. There was a moment silence, as if he was just now surveying her outfit, then said, "That top goes really well with your eyes. They're like the same color."

"Really? Do you think so?" Ami asked, obviously smiling. Dawn felt herself bite her tongue, jealousy churning in her stomach. "I wanted to get a shirt that would match my eyes, but my eyes are like the weirdest green, so yeah…"

"They're not really weird," Paul said. "They are a unique color. It's a pretty color though."

"So, how about my hair? Do you like it?" Ami asked, sounding truly nervous to hear his answer. "I-I wanted to do something different with it, but…"

"It's looks good straightened."

_Two compliments in one day, _Dawn thought sadly. _Did he ever give me that many compliments a day? _The answer was she truly couldn't remember.

"You're so sweet," Ami cooed.

Dawn felt her fists clench underneath her desk and she closed her eyes, squeezing them shut to will away the frustrated and angry tears that threatened to fall and help humiliate her even more than she have already been humiliated that day.

_Why does Ami have to be so nice now, and why Paul have to compliment her so much? _Dawn yelled silently in her mind. _Am I being mocked or something? Is somebody out there trying to prove to me that I don't deserve Paul or something? That Ami is much better for him than me?_

_No, _Dawn thought suddenly. _Paul is the only one trying to mock me. He's trying to make me feel horrible for what I did by being nice and possibly dating my rival._

_Well, if he thinks that's going to make me feel bad he has another thing coming! _Dawn thought determinedly, sitting up straight. _You can't bring me down, Paul!_

"Attention students!"

Oh good, that was the announcement.

"For all coordinators who have an advanced coordinator's class for 6th and 7th period, due to an incident with the Coordinator's gym, you will be reporting to the Trainer's gym, room 006, for class! Thank you!"

Say what now?

"What?" Dawn said. She was one of those students who was suppose to have Coordinator's class next period.

"An incident?" Leona echoed, equally confused. "I wonder what happened."

Dawn frowned. "I don't even know where the Trainer's gym is," she realized, voicing this realization out loud. "Isn't the trainer gym next to Breeder hill?"

Leona nodded. "I don't have that class next, but I can show you to the Trainer's gym since it's on the way to my next class anyway."

"Oh, okay, thanks."

The bell rang for class to end, and about five minutes later, Dawn found herself standing in front of Trainer's gym. She watched uncertainly as students who regularly used the gym entered.

"Apparently some junior burned down half the gym."

"Huh?" Dawn turned around, surprised to see Ursula standing only a few feet away, talking to her. She was dressed in a black long-sleeved top that fell off her shoulders with a graphic of a salmon-colored plusle and minun and tight fashionable skinny jeans with studs going down the sides, and black kitten heels.

"I passed by the coordinator's gym," Ursula explained. "The left side was burned to a crisp. Poor missus Meridian was bawling her eyes out right in front of it."

Quickly getting over her shock of Ursula actually talking to her, she exclaimed, "It was really burned to a crisp?" Ursula nodded. Together they entered the gym. "Wow, you would think the sprinklers would have turned off."

Ursula shrugged. "You would think," she said. "Maybe they were broken. It's not like the idiots at this school actually check to make sure their crap works."

"Hey! Everybody! Listen up!" Wake's voice rang loudly and clearly through the huge gym, turning everybody's attention to him.

Looking up, Dawn saw "Crasher" Wake was a burly guy. He was big but muscular, slightly intimidating, especially with the weird blue mask thing he wore over his face, like something a wrestler would wear. Actually, now that Dawn thought about it, Wake did remind her of a wrestler.

"Since my class has doubled in size, with half of my students now being coordinators, I've decided today is your lucky day coordinators!" Wake declared cheerfully, grinning. "Today you will be trainers! Now, I want everybody from my class to find a student from Mrs. Meridan's class; after you find your partner, you will participate in a one-on-one battle! After you're done battling, discuss the battle and over go over your techniques and strategies. I find this to be a great opportunity for all of you to learn more about the other, so get to it!"

_Darn it, _Dawn thought, scowling. She didn't recognize any of the faces that surrounded her, all of them alien to her.

She sighed, about to walk around in hopes of finding someone she actually new or someone who was kind enough to offer her a battle, but before she could a figure blocked her way. Glancing up, she saw the figure was Paul.

"We'll battle," he said decisively. "We need to talk."

"O-oh." Dawn stuttered. "Um, okay then." Quietly the two walked over the other side of the gym where it was a little less crowded and therefore more private. Briefly Dawn wondered where Ami was.

"Torterra, stand by for battle!"

"Typhlosion, Spotlight!"

Typhlosion and Torterra respectively took their battle stance while their trainer's remained silent, their eyes connected in a silent showdown. Finally, Paul spoke:

"You can make the first move."

"Fine…but first, what exactly do we need to 'talk' about it?" she asked, refusing to break eye contact just yet.

Paul was silent as he waited for her to command her Typhlosion. When he determined she wasn't, he finally responded. He hesitated, but only for a second, so nobody noticed his hesitation.

"You changed your image."

Dawn raised an eyebrow and frowned, confusion settling in over her. "Typhlosion, Flame Wheel!"

"Torterra, stand your ground and counter with Frenzy Plant!" Paul barked.

"Typhlosion!" Typhlosion hissed running full speed at Torterra before jumping into the air, curling into a ball, and erupting into a full-body suit of flames. "Tyy!" Typhlosion screeched as it rammed full force into the continent pokémon.

"Tor!" Torterra grunted as it's body became outlined in green and it slammed its front feet down thorny vines emerging from the ground and slamming into Typhlosion, sending the volcano pokémon flying back a few feet.

"My image changed?" Dawn repeated, still confused.

Paul's glare on her hardened. "You cut your hair, you changed the type of make up you wear, and you started wearing clothes you normally wouldn't wear."

Dawn flushed at this remark but met his glare with a glare of her own, her cheek puffed out. "Yeah, so? That doesn't mean anything. Typhlosion, use Smoke Screen followed by Flamethrower!"

Their small battlefield in the corner of the gym became surrounded with smoke as Typhlosion released a plume of smoke from it's mouth.

"You even let people call you DeeDee," he responded angrily back. "Torterra, continue to counter with Frenzy Plant!"

"That still doesn't mean anything!" she retorted.

A red-orange glow appeared in the smoke at first like an ember in a box of coal, growing larger and larger with each passing seconds before engulfing Torterra entirely in the long stream of fire, severely damaging the grass-type.

"Tor!" It grunted, kneeling on one of it's front legs. "TOR!" It grunted again as the same thorny vines as before shot out from the ground. As the smoke cleared it showed the vines wrapped around Typhlosion, the spikes on the vines cutting into it.

"Ty!"

"Oh no! Typhlosion!" Dawn gasped, worry present in her eyes.

"Typhlosion!" The pokémon screamed as it was slammed to the gym's concrete floor.

"Hang in there, Typhlosion!" she yelled, anxiously biting her thumb. "Are you alright?" Shakily standing up, flinching slightly, the pokémon nodded. "Great! Use Swift!"

A jet of bright golden stars shot out from the pokémon's mouth, hitting Toreterra straight on.

"I never asked anybody to call me DeeDee," _Well, except Leona,_ she thought guiltily, biting her thumb again. "As for my 'new image', I just decided to try something new."

"Why?" he demanded, temporarily choosing to forget about the battle to focus on the conversation.

"Why do I need a reason?" she retorted back, scowling. "I was moving to a new town, so why not try a few more new things like a new haircut or a new style? It has nothing to do with you, if that's what you're wondering! And who are you critique me on my changed image when you've changed a few things about yourself too!"

"And how exactly did I change?" he challenged.

"At Veilstone High, you dated all those girls to give them a fair chance," she responded icily back. "But then here you turned down every girl. That's how."

"I didn't turn down Ami."

Dawn felt her fists clench as he said these words, and she was trembling slightly as she responded angrily back, "Yeah, but only after you found out I was me! Before then you wouldn't even give her a second glance or a chance! The only reason why you're going out with her now is to get back at me!"

"Me accepting Ami's request for a date has nothing to do with you!" he retorted angrily back. "You don't even know her."

"I don't need to know her," she nearly screeched back. "Because she never even tried to get to know me! All she ever did was call me names and find something to make fun of me over!"

"But you never tried to understand why," he responded back.

"And since when are you the king of understanding, huh?" she demanded, feeling anger wash over her, tears beginning to appear in her eyes. She stubbornly pushed them back, and forced herself to breathe. "Honestly, you are just a stuck-up, stupid, insensitive pig! You just think you can date a girl and then stomp all over her like the cold bastard you are!"

"And all you'll ever be is perfect!" he spat, feeling his fists clench at his sides. A fierce determination in his eyes, he called out his next attack, "Torterra, use Frenzy Plant once more!"

Dawn blinked in surprise, having forgotten completely about the battle. "Quick, dodge!" she yelled. Typhlosion dodged the attack, but only barely. It was panting, obviously weakened and tired.

"Everybody can go wrong for you, but everything just has to go correct itself for you, doesn't it?" he yelled. "You lose everything, but everything just has to come back around for you because the world is just so in love with you, huh?"

"Shut up!" she hissed, blind with rage. She felt her body begin to tremble in anger, in something close to hatred.

"Make an effing move already!"

"I'll attack when I want to!" she retorted back angrily. Her mind an angry blur, she ordered the first attack that came to mind, not thinking of the side effects. "Typhlosion, Double Edge!"

"Ty?" Typhlosion shrieked, surprised by the reckless move.

"I said Double Edge, now go use it!" she screamed.

"Typhlosion!" Typhlosion rushed at Typhlosion, its body glowing white in the process, before tackling the giant continent pokémon full-force.

"Typhloision!" it hissed in pain, having also taken damage from the attack. It fell to one knee, breathing heavily.

"You're a horrible trainer," he drawled. "Making your pokémon use an attack that takes recoil damage when it's already in a weakened state. Torterra, Frenzy Plant!"

"No! No! No!" Dawn screamed, determined to prove him wrong. "Dodge, dodge, dodge! C'mon Typhlosion, please dodge!"

Typhlosion, however, just looked at her, out of breath, and its face sad. Thorny vines slammed Typhlosion into the wall with incredible power; it was then Dawn realized Paul's true power. She also realized he must have just been going easy on her their previous battle at Lake Verity.

"Typhlosion…" she whispered. Much to her amazement, Typhlosion weakly stood up, despite all the damage it took. Dawn felt herself sink to her knees, seething with anger at both herself and Paul.

"Finish it off with one last Frenzy Plant," Paul ordered coldly.

Dawn looked up, a surge of anger giving her the strength to push herself up. "No!" she screamed, running in front of Typhlosion and blocking it from Torterra's attack.

Paul's eyes widened in shock and surprise. "You idiot! Get out of the way!" he hissed. "Torterra, stop this instant!"

Torterra looked just as shocked and surprised as its trainer, and attempted to divert the oncoming vines the best it could. One vine couldn't be diverted in time however and wrapped itself around her ankle, it's spikes digging into her skin.

She screamed out in pain, catching the attention of many others nearby. Falling to her knees, her leg with the vine wrapped around her ankle stretched out beside her, she hissed in pain.

"Fuck!" Paul cursed, gritting his teeth together. Quickly he ran over and leaned down beside her, studying her wound.

"Stay still," he ordered, pulling the vine away. "Ow!" she hissed. She slapped his hand away, not realizing she caused him to jab the palm of his hand in a thorn as he did so.

Paul scowled at her, already pissed off as it was. "Do you want this thing out of you or not?" he demanded.

"I can do it myself!" she declared icily back, glaring at him. Turning briefly towards Typhlosion, she returned her pokémon, thanking it quietly. She then turned back to him and glared.

She then grabbed the large thorny vine with her own hands and began to slowly peel the vine away, wincing only twice surprisingly. Also surprising, her cuts from the thorns weren't as bad as Paul imagined much to his relief. Blood still dribbled out from the cuts however.

"Shouldn't you be going?" she snapped when she saw Paul was still there. "You've already don enough for one day!"

"In case you didn't realize, I was actually trying to help," he responded back.

"Oh yeah, because having your pokémon attack me with Frenzy Plant is really helpful," she said sarcastically, shakily standing up.

"I didn't ask you to jump in the middle of my pokémon's attack," he retorted. "So that was clearly your own fault."

Dawn knew this was true, but it didn't stop her from being mad at him. She winced as she put weight on her right ankle. She wobbled a bit, but Paul held her steady. She glared at him, pushing his hand off her shoulder.

"Quit being so difficult."

"I'm not the only one being difficult," she responded, glaring at the ground. She looked up, directing her glare at him now. "You're the one who started this."

"Don't start on the prom crap again," he snarled.

Dawn felt her eyes burn with tears at these words, the tears like a watery wall, blurring the sight of Paul into a disformed figure, sitting perfectly still, not falling, not retreating. She blinked several times, pushing them back until her eyes were almost cleared again. She looked away from him, her hand over her heart.

"You just don't wanna talk about it because you were being an asshole that night," she said quietly, her fist clenching as her heart pounded against her chest. "And because you were wrong, and you know it."

"Because you're always right, aren't you?" he responded sharply back. "Because you're always so perfect and because everybody loves you."

"Shut up!" she screamed suddenly, whirling around and catching the attention of the trainers who were battling beside them. "I am not perfect!"

"You think you know everything, and you understand everything, but you don't," Paul growled. "You don't. You don't know a thing about what goes on in someone else's life."

"And neither do you!" she yelled back. Seething, she closed her eyes and took a few deep breaths; when she opened her eyes again, she looked calm, other than the sharp glare she was still shooting at him. "And you know what, Paul; you're just bitter."

"Bitter?" he repeated. He felt a chillness settle over him at Dawn's next words.

"Yes, bitter," she said quietly. Her voice cold, and turning away, she said, "You're just bitter because your dad left you…but that's not my fault Paul. It was just something inevitable."

Paul blinked as he watched the blunette limp away, out of sight. He felt anger settle in every one of his bones, his teeth grinding painfully together, his fingers digging into his arms.

He was angry, at Dawn, at his father, and most of all, at his self.

She couldn't understand what it was like. She had lost her father too, but not the same way he had. And she didn't know. Only him and Reggie knew.

And as he turned, his mind and body weighed down with the harsh truth of Dawn's words, not to mention the day's upcoming events, he suddenly felt, for the first time in his life, defeated.

* * *

When Paul came home that day, he found an envelope addressed to him on the counter. Paul raised an eyebrow, not recognizing the messy scrawl as his brother's neat handwriting or his uncle's fancy cursive. Not like his brother would send him anything, considering they lived in the same house together, however since Cyrus was away, on a business trip, he could written him a letter.

Paul took one glance at the name addressed on the envelope, and was half-tempted to throw it away. Instead he dumped it in a drawer to get lost with many other unopened letters.

Paul could hear Reggie in the bathroom, no doubt getting ready. When Reggie came down the stairs he was surprised to see Paul in his regular clothes.

"I'm not going," Paul responded before he could even ask.

Reggie didn't say anything for a long while. His brother was dressed in a full-on formal black suit, tie and all. It was the kind of the outfit one wore a special occasion, like graduation, or a wedding or funeral.

"We found a letter addressed to you," Reggie finally said, softly. "It was from dad."

"I'm not going to read it," he responded blankly.

"Paul…"

His voice hardened. "I'm not."

Reggie just looked at him, with sympathy and pity. He hated it when he was looked at with sympathy and pity, and Reggie knew that, yet he just kept on staring at him with that sad, sad look in his eyes.

"Are you sure you don't wanna go?" he asked again, his voice still soft.

"I'm not going to change my mind," he responded.

"But Paul—"

"I'm not going to change my mind," he repeated, his voice colder. His brother couldn't convince him to go months ago, and he wasn't going to be convinced now.

Reggie stared at him again for a few moments, sighing sadly, before finally giving up on trying to get him to go. Checking once more that his overcoat was buttoned correctly, Reggie headed out the door.

"Goodbye, Paul. I'll be back home around midnight or so."

As Paul watched his brother go, he felt odd. As if he was a puzzle that was missing a few stray pieces, or as if a hole had suddenly opened up inside of him. It was weird.

Paul shook his head however.

His brother had just left. It was too late for regrets. What was done permanently was done months ago, and what had been delayed was finally happening tonight. Soon enough everything that had happened in the last year or so would be forgotten or in the past.

Much like Dawn, he was moving on.

He had to move on.

But even so, he felt that feeling lingered in his chest, the feeling of being incomplete.

* * *

"_Paul, aren't you coming?" _Reggie asked, staring at him from the top of the staircase again.

Before Paul could respond, a loud clang interrupted him. Looking up, startled, he saw a huge bronze bell. It clanged together again, it's sound mournful as it echoed throughout the room which vanished into thin air, only to be replaced with a huge browning pasture filled with tombstones.

Paul frowned. _How did I get here?_ He wondered. Glancing around, he saw something flying towards him in the breeze. Reaching his hand out, he grabbed it.

It was an envelope.

_To my dear son, Paul Shinji  
__From your undeserving father_

Paul stared at the letter, shocked and angry at the very thought that his father, so weak, and so undeserving, had dared send a letter, the son he had abandoned at the tender age of five, without a single warning, without a single goodbye. Full of rage, he ripped the envelope in half, then fourths, and on and on.

Suddenly something whizzed past him.

Turning around Paul saw himself suddenly. It wasn't a reflection of his current self though; it was his self as a five-year old, still chubby around the cheeks, still innocent and naïve about the world.

"_Momma!" _he yelled, grinning. _"I found it! I found it!"_

His mother just rolled her head to the side, her skin paler than usual, black bags under her eyes as she smiled at her youngest son. Despite her sickly appearance, she still looked very beautiful in Paul's eyes, with her long lavender locks and obsidian eyes.

"_Oh, Paul…"_ she murmured as he ran over to her, his previously lost Arceus toy in his hands. Weakly lifting her hand, she gently caressed his cheek, smiling so fondly at him even as she stifled a cough.

"_Paul…" _That was his father's voice, sounding tired, almost defeated even then. _"Your mom needs her rest. Please, go in your room and tend to your other toys. I don't want you catching what your mother has."_

"_But dad…" _His smile dropped.

"_I'm sorry, son, but I can't risk you getting sick like your mother. If you catch what she has, you might not be able to fight it…"_ his dad told him, now bending down next to him, squeezing his wife's hand encouragingly.

Paul huffed indignantly at this remark. _He could fight anything!_

"_Oh, Paul…" _That was his mother again. _"Do what your father says."_

Paul was still frowning at this, but sighing, he finally stood and walked over to his brother's room, knocking politely before barging in.

Paul stared at the scenario in front of him, blinking. This was an old memory of his. Faded, but still intact in his brain apparently.

The day after that his mother was in the hospital, seriously ill, his father at her side day and night it seemed, pleading for his wife to stay with him and their children. Despite all his pleading for her to stay, she still went. She never looked back.

"_Paul!" _A high-pitched voice called, giggling.

Paul glanced around, peering through the fog in search of the person who called his name. The fog was thick, having already settled in between the tombstones on the depressing piece of land.

"_Paul!" _the voice called again, giggling some more.

He recognized the voice this time, but he still couldn't her as he searched through fog, now navigating around the tombstones in search of the voice.

"_Dawn, where are you?" _he demanded, annoyed.

"_I'm right here, silly." _A voice giggled in his ear. Paul whipped around, startled to find her right behind him. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he forced himself to take deep breaths in order to calm himself. When his heart did finally slow down to a steady beat, he found himself scowling.

"_What are you doing here?" _he demanded.

"_You don't want me here," _she said blankly, straight to the point. _"I can understand that, I suppose. After all, who wants to dream about somebody they hate?"_

Paul opened his mouth to say something, then shut it, uncertain.

She smiled at this_. "See. And you must be having a pretty awful nightmare, considering you also dreamed about your dad." _She laughed, her voice echoing like chimes in the dense air and eerie setting. Paul scowled at this.

"_Get out of here," _he growled, glaring coldly back at her.

"_Fine, fine," _she said, rolling her eyes. She smiled at him again, and he thought she was going to say something, and he was about to demand her to get lost once more, when suddenly she touched his hand.

Her hand was cold, like an iceberg, and smooth to the touch. Paul blinked and when he looked down he saw diamonds, bright and glittering, as crimson fluid washed over them, dripping onto the dead grass between the cracks in his hands.

Paul stared at the diamonds, stunned.

Blood diamonds.

"_We will never surrender!"_ Dawn's voice called out loudly.

_BANG! BANG! BANG!_

_.x._

_This is war  
__We're out on the battlefield  
__We're guarded with our shield  
__We're all after the blood diamonds  
__But we want victory, not funds  
__Why the conflict?  
__Nobody's perfect  
__Doesn't matter what we say  
__Because we will die another day  
__We want victory, not funds  
__But we're looking for blood diamonds  
__We're taking something perfect  
__And ruining it with conflict  
__We're in the war zone  
__Unfortunately, we're all alone…_

* * *

**Other names for blood diamonds include "converted diamonds", "conflict diamonds", "hot diamonds" and "war diamonds". They are diamonds that come from war zones and are usually sold illegally. I felt because of this it would be a good name for this chapter, considering this chapter's main theme was conflict: Ami vs. Dawn, Dawn vs. Paul, Paul vs. himself, etc. However, the chapter name can also refer to how being a diamond is in Dawn's blood, or even how she sort of bled after Torterra accidentally attacked her. 8D;**

**Also songs that I feel fits this chapter would be "Battlefield" by Jordin Sparks (especially). "Misery Business" by Paramore and "Girlfriend" by Avril Lavigne also sort of fit the beginning of this chapter; not really the lyrics, just the music which just has that upbeat, empowering, in-your-face feel to it, like I was trying to create with the whole Ami vs. Dawn thing. ^.^ "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" by Greenday (again), the lyrics sort of fit, like, "I walk a lonely road, the only one that I have ever known...I walk alone, I walk alone, I walk alone...sometimes I wish someone out there would find me...". The lyrics really fit if you really get the story.**

**Also remember a few chapters back (chapter 12, I believe) when Paul had a dream about Dawn and "DeeDee", and it kept switching between the two? Well, that was Paul unconsciously making the connection between the two. Deep down, he always knew DeeDee was Dawn, he was just in denial. ^.^ I just remembered that scene, so felt the need to mention that now.**

**Also sorry for the late update! D: I've been SUPER busy lately! I'll try my best to update next week though! I already have next chapter partially written, so hopefully I'll finish in time! xD;**

**Now questions:**

**1. Next chapter we will get some of Paul's POV on prom, and why he was partly motivated to act the way he did. What do you think the reason may have been for him to act that way to Dawn?  
2. There will be a field trip next chapter in Roark's class. What do you think, if anything, will happen at the field trip?  
3. What do you think was the main problem between Dawn's and Paul's relationship that it ended up the way it is now?  
4. Based on this chapter and the above questions, what do you think will happen next chapter?  
5. Next chapter will be called "Lithium". Any thoughts on that?**

**NOW SPECULATE! 8D (and review? :3). Also thanks for all of last chapter's reviews! Is it too much to hope for 400 reviews now? (or at least 390? xD My main goal for this story is to get to 500 reviews :]). Also sorry for any mistakes, especially spelling mistakes! For some reason my spell check isn't catching all of my typos. :x**


	18. Lithium

_**Diamond and Pearl**_

**Summary: **AU. Part 2: Platinum. She is the diamond that broke; he is the pearl that longs to be someone else. They were platinum, but they couldn't take the heat. Both were hurt and betrayed, but perhaps a second chance in Twinleaf can set things right. Ikarishipping!

_**PART TWO**_—**_Platinum_**

**Chapter Eighteen**

Paul stared at a letter in his hand. It was a letter from his dad. It was clearly marked '_To my dear son, Paul Shinji, From your undeserving father_' in blue pen, sloppy and in cursive. He wasn't sure why he had opened it, but he did, and he have regretted opening it ever since.

Why had he opened the letter? He should have left it alone, sealed; he shouldn't have touched it. The content inside of it, the words, they were horrible…terrible…unforgivable. He would never forgive his dad for this ultimate betrayal.

Paul felt anger wash over him along with something else he didn't dare name.

He crumpled the paper in his hand just when Reggie came in; the older brother was shocked by the anger, the hatred, along with that one emotion Paul refused to put a name to, present on his brother's face.

"Paul, what's wrong?" he asked, clearly worried. His eyes trailed to the crumple paper in his brother's hand.

"Nothing is wrong!" he retorted, crumpling the paper even more, if possible.

"Paul, is that dad's letter?" Reggie questioned.

"What does it matter?" he spat.

He knew was being rude and unfair to Reggie, but he didn't care. He was beyond furious. He was beyond that word he still refused to name. He felt as if a hole had opened up in his chest, and everything he didn't even know was there was suddenly spilling out of him, driving him insane. Still furious, he threw the crumpled piece of junk at the waste bin, but missed due to the jumbled mess his brain was currently in.

Reggie stared at his brother worriedly, having never seen him like this before, and wondered what could have possibly upset him that much. He walked over to the waste basket and smoothed out the wrinkles in his dad's letter to his brother. When he read the letter he understood, suddenly feeling the same hurt (yes, Reggie dared put a name to this feeling) and betrayal as his brother.

Despite having not seen his father since he was eleven years old, for twelve years now, Reggie still felt hurt that his father would do this to them. That he would do this to himself.

"Paul…you don't have to go to school tomorrow, if you don't feel up to it," Reggie murmured softly.

"Whatever," Paul murmured darkly, coldly.

He missed the next day of school. In fact, he missed school almost the whole week.

"_Dear Paul, my son I knew for only five years,"_

Despite Paul's harsh attitude and his feigned indifference, Reggie knew Paul felt betrayed the most, felt the most hurt. Reggie knew Paul had hoped his dad would come back when he first left; that he believed his dad would come back to care for him. By the time he was ten though he had long given up on that belief and had turned into the colder rock version of himself today. Reggie feared to see how Paul would be now, with their recently obtained knowledge of their father and his…whereabouts.

"_I see you're doing pretty well without me. How's Reggie doing? Don't answer that; I'll probably find out soon enough. You are quite the battler, I must say. I recently saw you at the Sinnoh League, and I'm impressed; I'm proud to say I have a strong son who placed second in the Sinnoh League. You probably didn't know, but I was part of the crowd, watching you, cheering for you. I'm sure if you did know you would have come up to me and slug me, huh? Would have served me right after what I did to you and your brother…"_

Dawn called Paul everyday he was absent. It was obvious she was worried about him possibly missing prom. Paul always gave her the same excuse: he was sick. Reggie would ask him why he didn't just tell her the truth. Paul would always respond, "Which would be?" It was as if he was in denial.

Other times Reggie would hear Paul murmuring to himself, saying, "blonde haired kid… he saw her with a blond-haired kid… who is he…?"

Naturally Reggie was curious about what his brother was rambling on to himself about, but he never asked, wanting to give his brother space. Honestly, his brother was a mess. He looked crazed the first few days.

"_It's amazing how much you resemble your mother. Lavender locks, obsidian eyes… Your mother was always quite the beauty. It's a shame you only got to know her for five years. It's a shame for everybody she had to go as young as she did. At least she died youthful, I guess. You even have the same smirk she had when she won a battle. I see unlike your mother though you followed my footsteps and became a trainer instead of a coordinator. Somehow I feel honored knowing that."_

Paul would watch as he made appointments and arrangements. It unnerved Reggie slightly, knowing his brother was there. He couldn't help but feel as if Paul was holding so much inside of him that at any moment he would tick and then explode. For that he feared both the explosion and the aftermath. He feared for his brother, knowing somehow this loss would only bring more for him somehow.

"_Anyway, I should stop rambling on about nothing. Your mother always hated when people rambled and avoided the main point of a conversation. Oh, there I go mentioning your mother again. I just can't get her off my mind can I? Twelve years after her death and I'm still thinking about her, unable to forget her." _

"Are you going to prom, Paul?" Reggie questioned Wednesday, the day before the big night, Prom Night. Paul just shrugged, appearing indifferent, even though beneath his outer shell Reggie knew he was struggling.

"Who knows. Dances are such a drag," he muttered. "The music is always too loud…too many people grinding… I might go, since Dawn wants to go…" He trailed off, appearing lost for a second, almost crazed.

"_Tell me boy, do you have a girl you can't get off your mind? A girl that you can imagine as your future wife, the love of your life, a girl you can't live without? How about that blue-haired girl, the cheerleader; you two are going out aren't you? She's quite the cutie. You seem happy with her. You look like your mother did when she was with me when you're with her." _

"Yeah," Paul was saying monotonously to Dawn over the phone for the third day in a row. "No, I don't think I'm going to be here tomorrow."

_Again, _Reggie thought in his mind. His brother usually wasn't the type to miss school; his brother did have an excuse though for not wanting to go, even if he denied that was the real reason he was skipping out on school.

"Thanks," he grunted. "I have to go now. Bye." Paul hung up.

"You should tell her the real reason why you're not going," Reggie said quietly from his spot on the couch.

"She doesn't need to know."

"But why not? She's your girlfriend, Paul," Reggie insisted.

"I'll tell her some other day," Paul responded simply. "It's not like she needs to know right away. After all, it doesn't have anything to do with her. Besides, if I told her she would just get upset and it would ruin prom night for her."

Reggie was shocked by his brother's consideration. Reggie knew his brother felt deeply about Dawn, more deeply than he ever had with any other girl, but Paul continued to shock him with the care and consideration he showed for her now and then.

Suddenly Reggie noticed the strange look on Paul's face. His eyebrows were furrowed together, his mouth in a straight line of thought and concentration. He almost looked troubled.

He took a seat next to him, watching him, but remained silent. He knew pressing information out of his brother would do no good; if his brother wanted to tell him something, he would tell it on his own free will. He would just have to wait and see if Paul was willing to express his concerns or thoughts with him, his older brother.

Eventually, he did.

"_If this girl, this cheerleader, means anything to you like your mother did to me, I would like to think you would understand part of the reason why I left. I regret leaving you two, I really do, but the truth is your mother has stronger genes than I do, and as such every day I was with you and your brother, I was reminded of her. And everyday with you two, I was reminded of her not being there to be with me with you two. I just hope that if you two ever get married, if you and this blue-haired cheerleader, ever elope, you two won't face the tragedy of losing the other and then being forced to live without them. You are strong, Paul, I'm sure, and I'm sure she is too, but unfortunately I'm not strong; I liked to think I was, but now I realize I'm not and I never was. For this, I'm sorry."_

"She's keeping something from me," he said eventually, his eyes focused on the floor.

Reggie raised an eyebrow. "You mean Dawn? What could she possible be keeping from you?"

Paul scowled as he said this. "That's the thing: I don't know. But she's been acting weird lately…as if she's keeping secrets from me…it's like she doesn't trust me or something. Or as if she's hiding something she knows isn't right…"

The older brother frowned at the words of uncertainty coming from his younger brother's mouth. He didn't really understand what his brother meant. "What do you mean?" He saw Paul's eyebrows furrow together even more, uncertainty and hesitation flashing in his eyes.

Finally, he said: "There's this blonde kid. I don't really know what he looks like since I only saw him twice and from afar, but I can tell he's pretty tall…lanky…dorky looking."

Reggie's eyebrows knit together as Paul continued.

"I saw her with him twice. At the Sinnoh League where she was hugging him, and at her own house. She looked mad seeing him, as if he wasn't suppose to be there when I was there… he also said something about being too busy for boyfriends, but that remark may have been sarcasm… I couldn't really tell… And then Drew saw her with a blond guy, presumably the same guy, once too, along with a few others…"

Reggie's eyes widened suddenly as he realized his brother's concerns. "You don't think she's cheating on you, do you?" he asked in disbelief. Dawn certainly didn't seem like the type to cheat on somebody; however, her clothes were a little suggestive…

Paul shrugged. "No. No…" This second 'no' was filled with uncertainty, and he saw Paul's eyes become focused again on the floor as he thought this over, his fists clenching together in what was obviously frustration for what he didn't know and what he wasn't sure of.

"So she's keeping something from you and she hasn't even made an attempt to tell you?" Reggie clarified, his eyebrow still raised.

"Well, she did attempt," Paul admitted, something close to guilt flashing in his eyes, but only for a brief second before hardening into cool liquid once more. "But then that boy interrupted us, ringing the doorbell… I saw him, and… I just left." He shrugged, as if indifferent, but Reggie saw his body was tense.

Reggie realized then the saying was true. People were scared of the unknown.

"_I don't blame you if you hate me for abandoning you. I wouldn't blame you or brother if you never forgave me for abandoning you, but even so I hope maybe you will find a place in your heart for forgiveness…"_

The next day was hard for Paul Reggie knew. It was hard for all of them. Sitting through the ceremony, speeches being made about their father and the kind of guy he was that Paul never got to truly know.

Pictures flashed by of their father: a man with shaggy hair much like their own, only a muddy brown hue, framing his face, silver eyes with a flame lit in them boring down on them, his mouth curved up on a smile as he flashed pearl white teeth. There were pictures of him with their mom, Violet: pictures of them on prom night, pictures of them on their wedding them, family pictures of them together with him and Paul…

The last picture that flashed by was a picture of him and Paul together. Paul was on his back, one small arm wrapped around his father's neck as he grinned and flashed a peace sign at the camera while their own father laughed. The Paul in that picture was a much different boy back then; much happier, much more carefree. Their father was a different man back then too.

Reggie glanced worriedly at Paul, but saw that despite the picture his brother still looked as indifferent as he had when the ceremony first began, with his back hunched against the chair, his arms crossed, and his legs spread apart in front of him. He was staring blankly at the picture with no emotions present on his face, and for that Reggie was worried.

"_I'm sorry Paul. Tell your brother I'm sorry too. And tell Cyrus that he has done a good job in raising you and has done an exceptional job as a replacement father despite his young age. How old is he now? 35? 36? You deserve the best, you and your brother, but let's face it, I could have never been the best father out there with the way my current state of mind was…is."_

Paul glanced at himself in the mirror. Unconsciously, Paul ran a hand through his lavender locks and straightened his tie. After a few minutes of studying himself in the mirror he decided to ditch the tie and loosened the collar.

"Are you sure you're up to going to prom?" Reggie questioned his younger brother, eyeing him warily.

"Of course I am," he snapped, feeling irritable. "Besides, Dawn wants to go. I'm not going to ruin prom night for her by not showing."

"I'm sure if you just told her why…"

"I'm not going to ruin her night," Paul repeated again. "I'll tell her tomorrow. After prom is over. I'm not going to make her upset."

"Well, if you say so," Reggie sighed, leaving the room.

Paul didn't answer back. Instead he turned back to a crumpled piece of paper on his dresser. He kept reading the last few paragraphs over and over again. Why he still had his father's letter, he had no idea. Paul ripped the crumpled paper in half, again and again until it was just a bunch of tattered pieces then threw it away, hesitating at the last part.

"_This is going to be my last letter to you. It may be my first letter to you, although not my first attempted letter, but it will be my last one. To be honest, I'm not sure why I'm writing to you. I'm not sure why I'm telling you all this in a letter. I guess it's not because I'm afraid you'll kill me if I told you all this face to face; it's quite the opposite, actually. I guess I'm just scared you'll stop me if I told you what I planned."_

The car rolled to a gentle stop in front of Dawn's driveway and opened the door to his truck.

Glancing one last time at the rearview mirror, he swept another hand through his locks and pulled at his collar. He had never felt this nervous before or anxious about something. It was honestly an alien feeling to him to feel this way. But then again, the feeling of caring for someone as much as he did Dawn was also alien to him.

He had been contemplating his feelings for the blue-haired beauty for a while now, and he had finally decided last night that maybe…maybe she was the one. She said she loved him, and he preferred to believe that was true, and that he possibly felt the same way back.

_Tonight, _Paul decided. _I'll tell her that. I'll finally say the words back._ When Paul got out of the car, he was actually smiling. His father forgotten for the mean time, and he was about to surprise his beautiful blue-haired girlfriend and then go to his junior prom with her. Nothing was going to ruin this feeling for him, nothing.

Or so he thought.

Paul walked up to the door, adjusting his collar again, and lifted his hand to ring the doorbell.

"You look great!"

Paul froze. He recognized that voice. It was the same voice of that blonde guy who came down Dawn's house. He would recognize that high-pitched voice anywhere. It was slightly muffled from the door, but he could still clearly recognize the voice.

"Thanks, Barry," he heard Dawn giggle in response.

There were more responses after that, but they were muffled. Or maybe they were just drowned out by the sound of Paul's heart beating like a tornado inside his chest or the voices inside Paul's head of everybody commenting on his and Dawn's relationship along with her possible relationship with a certain blonde-haired boy while his vision was clouded by the memory of Dawn hugging that very boy.

"Yes, I'm going to prom Barry," he heard Dawn say.

_They were right,_ the thought crossed Paul's mind before he could stop it. Suddenly he felt cold, foolish, almost. Similar to the night he found out his dad left him and Reggie. Anger and bitterness washed over him, replacing the warm feeling he previously felt for her.

_Not again, _Paul thought, his heart numb with anger. _At prom, I'll break up with her then. Why would she care if I broke up with her, when she can have any damn man she wants?_

He felt more anger wash over him at this thought and he had half a mind to walk away from the door right now and just let her go to prom on her own. He had made a decision though. He was going to stick with it.

He rang the doorbell. He forced himself to look calm and indifferent as she answered the door.

A few seconds later the door opened.

Paul stared at the blue-haired girl in front of him, amazed by her beauty. He was breathless staring at her, and he swore his heart had stopped beating. She looked even more beautiful when that famous smile of hers slid across her face, lighting up her face.

"Who is that?" Paul distantly heard someone shout from the kitchen.

"You're here," she whispered, tears in her eyes as she hugged him. When she pulled away, she looked into his eyes, that smile still on her face. "I thought you were sick?"

Paul blinked, slowly exiting his mesmerized state. Her last words rang in his ears.

Oh yeah.

He was supposed to be "sick". Of course, that was just a lie he had made up just so he didn't have to see her all week. So he didn't have to see anybody.

"I feel better now," he replied calmly back.

"I am so glad you are here!" she said, hugging him again. "I was just thinking about visiting you!" Paul raised an eyebrow.

_In a prom dress? I don't think so._

Of course, he didn't speak those words out loud.

"Huh. I guess Dawn doesn't need a ride to Prom, after all," Paul heard a boy say quietly from the kitchen. Paul felt something in his chest tighten at these words and he felt his anger begin to grow rapidly.

_Someone else was going to take Dawn to prom._ Paul thought to himself. _Probably that_ other _loser boyfriend she has._ Paul closed his eyes and forced down his anger, taking slow, cool, calming breaths.

_Well, it doesn't matter. I've already made my decision._

"Paul, there's someone I want you to mee—"

"We have to get to Prom," he interrupted her. "Prom has already started, and it's probably already crowded. C'mon, let's go." He took her hand and began to lead her towards his car.

Her face deflated as he did so, but she just sighed, and allowed him to lead the way.

He didn't want to meet the guy she probably planned on leaving him for one day. He would just go insane if he did.

"_I guess you can classify this as a suicide note. Well, goodbye my son. I regret not sticking around longer to watch you and your brother grow up."_

* * *

"Togekiss, Sky Attack! Typhlosion, jump on Togekiss's back and use Flame Wheel!"

By Monday of the week before the big field trip it had been made clear that all the trainers would be sharing the gym with all the flashy coordinators for a while now. As a result, Mrs. Meridan now taught on one side of the gym and Crasher Wake on the other side. Once in a while though the two teachers collaborated together, forcing trainers to attempt appeals, or the coordinators to battle the trainers again.

Today was one of those days when Paul sat on the sidelines, watching one-by-one as the coordinators took their turn and did an appeal.

"Ooh"s and "aw"s filled the room as Togekiss's and Typhlosion's body became cloaked in a white aura that soon turned to numerous shade of red, orange and gold as Typhlosion performed its Flame Wheel attack. A fiery cloak surrounded both pokémon, red sparks popping out from the fiery cloak as Togekiss spun and danced gracefully in the air, Typhlosion staying perfectly balanced on the pokémon's back as it did.

Paul could now see why Dawn was a top coordinator, not a top trainer. He could now understand why she had been admired by many at Veilstone City by her coordinating skills. While quick wit and brute force was like not in her profession, flashy moves and dazzling performances obviously were.

"Typhlosion, use Swift! Togekiss, Air Slash!" Dawn yelled, beaming proudly at her pokémon as they performed their respective move.

"Ty!" Typhlosion yelled as it jumped off Togekiss's back, turned to face the Jubilee pokémon, and spewed numerous shining golden stars from its mouth.

"Preeeeeee!" Togekiss chimed as a light blue ball formed in front of its wings and fired the ball at the Volcano Pokémon.

The two attacks collided in a burst of color, energy, and stars. There was a bright flash, like their picture were being taken, and then glittering gold stars started to rain down while a multitude of rainbow colors danced across the stadium before eventually fading.

The crowd seemed hypnotized as they loudly applauded and cheered for the blue-haired beauty dressed in an off-the-shoulder pink shirt with large golden font on the front over a white tank top and a faded mini-skirt as she waved and smiled at her fellow classmates who called her name.

As Dawn exited the stage and another coordinator was called to perform their appeal, Paul suddenly realized that was the first he had ever seen Dawn do an appeal. True, they had battle, two times actually, but he had never seen her battle as a coordinator or perform an appeal until just a minute ago.

Still, despite how impressed he was by the blunette's beautiful appeal, he still felt anger towards her. She was such a showoff, waving at the crowd and talking all loudly, that stupid big smile on her face, as if she was just trying to prove a point. She glanced his way for a moment, making his blood boil in silent anger, then turned back to her group of admirers.

"Hey, Dawn did pretty well on her appeal, eh?" Barry chirped from beside him, that large grin plastered on his face as he jabbered on more compliments for his step-sister.

_Amazing, she goes from a penny to a diamond in just one day,_ Paul thought bitterly to himself.

All you had to do was dress up in a mini-skirt and suddenly the whole school (or at least the whole boy population of the school) loved you. In his mind, it made no sense and in his opinion, not right. He didn't exactly feel that way because of Dawn though. It was just something he always believed. If you didn't pay any attention to somebody when they were more of "punk-prep", then why start paying attention for someone when they suddenly became girly and materialistic, less intimidating. But what he couldn't understand most was why Dawn was even putting up with that. The fake friends, the boys who only liked her for her looks and change of style. It only made him madder because he knew it was because of him. To make a point that he just couldn't understand.

When the final bell for class to end rang, and as he walked down the wooden bleachers, he stopped and glared at a boy who he caught trying to sneak a peak under Dawn's short skirt. When the boy, a football jock who although stocky, was a foot shorter than him, looked up at him with an annoyed scowl, he said:

"It's not polite to be staring up little girl's skirts."

Dawn turned around at this comment, and shot a surprised look at the jock whose face burned red in humiliation and anger as he shot Paul a menacing glare. Paul was already walking away, however, forcing himself to concentrate on breathing and not punching a wall out of frustration and anger.

_Stupid football jocks. Stupid fake friends. _Paul thought, fists balled up in his pockets.

_Stupid imperfect diamond, trying to make a point I already get._

* * *

Dawn Berlitz  
Mrs. Juniper  
Adv. English IV/1  
1 February 2011

Last year I attended Veilstone High School where I had five best friends, dozens of boyfriends, and spent most of my time at cheerleading practice, working on cheerleading stunts, or at football games or stadiums cheering and waving pompoms around. Back then, my life was lots of fun despite all the hard work I had to put in to juggle my social life, my school work, family and everything else in between. My life wasn't perfect then, after all nobody's life is perfect, but for me life was as perfect as it could get for me. I had friends who were there for me, I had a mom who loved me and cared for me, and was in no serious relationship. But then, one fateful morning, when I ran into a certain purpled-hair man, it all changed…

But then, one fateful morning, I was just casually walking around when I ran into a rude, arrogant…

But then, one fateful morning, with one fateful encounter, everything slowly started to change for me.

Last year I met a certain guy who ended up having a bigger impact on my life than I ever could have imagined. When I first met him, I thought he was arrogant, rude, and overall, a stuck jerk. But then I was given the chance to know him better; I got to learn more about him, his past, everything. For once in my life I actually started to really _feel_ something for a guy…

For once in my life, I actually felt as if I really got to know a guy. I realized there was more to him than his cold exterior; he had a rough past, and in a way, he was just misunderstood. And not just that; I also felt as if for the first time in my life a guy understood _me. _The _real _me. And then, after a couple months of just being friends, it finally happened: he asked me out. At first I was surprise, but then it was like the most wonderful thing that could have happened to me.

We had dated for about a month when everything suddenly started to go haywire. Rumors were going around the school about us, saying shit…

Saying things that weren't even true. And then to add to all the drama happening at school, I then got more drama at home. My mom dropped the bomb on me after a few weeks of dating Paul…

My mom dropped the bomb on me after a few weeks of dating that special someone that she was getting married and we would be moving to Twinleaf. I was mad, of course, because I didn't want to leave my friends and boyfriend behind. Honestly, I was scared that my boyfriend wouldn't accept the idea of a long-distance relationship and he would break up with me. Looking back at it, I realize it was a stupid fear…

…

…

Dawn frowned as she looked at the words printed on the computer screen. Jumbles of letters pushed together, words smashed together, writing out the most personal essay she ever wrote in front of her.

Looking down, she read her writing prompt again.

_Write a three or more paragraph essay on you're a life-changing event that happened in the last year or so. Explain how your life was before that event happen, the compare it to how your life is now. Essay is due February 1st._

Maybe I should write about some other life-changing event, Dawn thought. I could just write about having to move here, or my mom getting married. It doesn't necessarily have to be about Paul…

She knew she wouldn't delete the words in front of her though, or give up on her half-written essay that spoke discreetly of her relationship with Paul. Getting her feelings and the way she saw their relationship and the end of their relationship on her paper, it felt great. As if she was starting to lift a heavy burden off her chest.

Dawn yawned loudly, stretching her arms and hands out behind her in a cat-stretch, and glanced at the clock on her desk. It was late.

I better get to sleep, Dawn thought.

She read over her essay one last time, saved and closed the document before shutting off the computer, and then flicked off the only remaining light other than the moonlight left in her room.

* * *

It was Friday. Only a little more than twelve hours and they would soon be out in the wilderness, exploring the wonders of Eterna Forest and searching the great, mystical moss rock.

The room was filled with chatter as the students worked on a worksheet concerning more evolutionary stones and rocks. In fact, the worksheet Paul and Ami were working on that very moment concerned the moss rock, the ice rock, and the coronet rock.

Ami still would not stop gushing to him about their date from almost a week ago despite the fact that it had been a simple date, nothing special: just a dinner date at some cheap fast-food restaurant and a walk around Twinleaf.

Ami really wasn't that bad once you really got to know her, Paul knew, but there were still several habits of hers that annoyed him to no end, like her ability to blabber on about the same thing for hours.

"Paul?" Ami questioned.

"Hm?"

"Thank you, again, for the date. I… I know you said it was only for that one time, and there's still nothing going on between us, but thank you anyway. You know, for giving me a chance."

Paul just grunted again.

"I know I can be a bit annoying at times… a lot to deal with and stuff… with me causing drama, so it really does mean a lot to me," Ami continued.

"It's no problem…" Paul muttered.

"I know." Ami smiled.

Paul glanced up as he heard a low male voice followed by a series of high-pitched giggles. Looking up, he saw Dawn grinning at one of the boys who sat behind them. The boy was smirking at her, and said something else in a low voice which again caused Dawn and her friend, Leona, to burst into giggles. Unconsciously, Paul felt his jaw and fists tighten.

Ami followed Paul's gaze and saw he was looking at Dawn again. The rosette frowned unhappily at this, and she felt her mouth tighten into a firm line as she forced herself to look away and concentrate on something else. She racked her brain for something interesting to say to take Paul's mind off of Dawn and onto her.

"So, you wouldn't believe the insane rumor I heard today," she started, forcing herself to make her voice loud enough to drown out the two giggling girls only a seat away.

Slowly, reluctantly, Paul turned towards her and only half paid attention to her story, nodding and occasionally grunting to make it appear as if she had his full attention. In truth though, his ears were still on Dawn and Leona.

Suddenly Roark walked up to them.

_Maybe they're getting in trouble for laughing too loud…_ Paul highly doubted that thought considering how loud everybody else was being compared to them.

"Since both you girls are done with your work, I was hoping you could do me a favor," Roark started.

"Sure, anything," Dawn said.

"Yeah," Leona agreed.

"Great. Run down to the library and bring back this list of books to me," Roark told them, handing them both a library pass. "Just hand this list over to the library, and then she'll fetch the books for you two to take. Got it?"

"Got it!" They both chirped.

"Great! Thank you girls so very much!"

Paul watched as the two girls exited the room, still talking cheerfully to each other. With Dawn out of the room, Paul turned back to Ami only to find she was still talking about some nasty rumor she heard about one of her friends that she believed some guy from the track team had spread just to get back at her for dumping him. After about five minutes of listening to Ami talk about this, he excused himself to sharpen his pencil which had just broke from pressing down too hard on it.

_Rrrrrrr-rrrrrrrrrrr. _The pencil sharpener growled as it ate and chewed his pencil into a pointy writing tool.

Paul glanced back at his table and saw Leona and Dawn still hadn't returned from the library. Ami was currently twisting a pink lock in her hair, chewing intently on the end of her pencil, her eyebrows scrunched together, as she focused on apparently a completely impossible problem on the worksheet. Everybody else was talking cheerfully amongst each other, only one in a while glancing at the paper in front of them.

_Rrrrr…_

Paul took his pencil out of the pencil-munching machine, and testing the end of it, decided it was finally sharp enough. He started to head back, snippets of conversations reaching his ear. One certain snippet he heard, however, caught his attention.

"Twenty bucks she's not a virgin, man." A cocky football jock was saying. "With a body as banging as hers, there's no way."

"You wanna bet man? I bet she still is," his friend, not a football jock but a well-known pokémon trainer at Twinleaf, responded.

Maybe it was just mild curiosity, or maybe he just somehow knew who they were talking about, somehow knowing when somebody was talking about her. Either way, he stopped about a foot or so from their table, pretending to be interested in what the board said.

"Oh yeah, and how exactly are we going to find out if she is or not?" A third guy, no guy particularly important as far as Paul could tell, queried.

There was a moment silence, and then, the pokémon trainer said: "I'll sleep with her. Tomorrow, when we're in Eterna Forest."

More silence, then a burst of laughter.

"Dude, what makes you think _Dawn Berlitz _will sleep with _you?_" The football jock exclaimed.

They are talking about Dawn, Paul thought. Unconsciously, he felt his hands formed into fists on his sides.

"Easy: I'm good-looking, athletic, the best pokémon trainer here."

"You wish," the unimportant guy snorted, earning more cackles from the two.

"No way, man, not you," The football jock said. "I'll find out if she's a virgin or not. After all, there is no way she can resist me. She digs me. I know it."

"You're a hound," the third guy said.

"More like a pig," the pokémon trainer muttered.

Without thinking about it, Paul felt his mouth move against his will as he said: "You guys are sick."

The guys turned to him, all three surprised that someone else had apparently heard their conversation. Paul turned around too, glaring menacingly at the three.

The jock scowled. "Dude, what's your problem? We were just kidding."

Paul snorted. "You have a funny sense of humor."

The unimportant guy and the pokémon trainer glanced at the two uncertainly, deciding it was best to stay out of this argument. Paul was at least half a foot taller than both of them, and despite the pokémon trainers' previous bragging, they both knew Paul was really the best pokémon trainer at Veilstone High and easily whoop both their sorry asses in less than three seconds.

The jock would not give up this fight though.

"Oh c'mon, dude; like you never wanted to know if one of the finest looking chicks in class is a virgin or not," he said. "We're all dudes here; we all think alike, don't we?"

"Apparently not," Paul growled. "And you never even looked twice at Dawn until she started wearing short skirts and low-cut tops."

"So?" he drawled, looking bored as he crossed his arms in front of his well-built chest. "She looks better wearing skirts and low-cut tops. More for _us_ to see."

Paul wanted to punch this guy in the face. He really did. He could feel the anger boiling in his blood at the thought of what this guy wanted to _do_ to Dawn, and of how he thought of her, as nothing more than a piece of ass. Despite what he said about Dawn and how he acted around her, he still felt an urge to protect her from the dangers of school and the real world.

"You are an asshole," he said. He sneered, "What, you think you can have anybody you want and do anything you want just because you happen to be on the football team?"

The classroom started to quiet down as students became aware of the commotion on the other side of the room between Paul and the jock.

Roark's head popped up from his pile of paperwork as he noticed the classroom's sudden change in volume.

"Paul?" she heard Ami say nervously. He ignored her though.

"Dude, you are the asshole," the football jock declared. His face was now red in anger. "And you know what, I can have anybody I want, and that includes your precious little _girlfriend_, Dawn." A cruel smirk slid across his face. "And just watch, she'll be _mine_ by tomorrow night."

Paul caught the implication in his words, and he felt his muscles tense and his face twist together in anger as he took a step towards him. The jock took a step forward too, his chest puffed out and one sleeved rolled up, ready to fight.

"What is going on here?" Roark demanded, standing up.

"You're going down, Lavender Boy," the jock growled.

Paul's fist had risen, ready to make that cocky, disrespectful, pathetic excuse of an athlete's nose bleed, and had been mere seconds from doing so, when a voice suddenly called him back to the real world, a body sliding between his and Tyler's (he suddenly remembered the jock's name) bodies and held his arm down.

"Paul! Stop! What are you doing?" A girl's angry voice called out to him, and looking down, he realized the body that had stopped him from almost getting suspended was in fact Dawn, the reason why they were even having a fight. He saw she still had a library pass around her neck so assumed she must have just gotten back, saw the fight about to take place, and rushed to stop it. She was brave, Paul had to give her that, cutting in when two men at least a head taller than her were about to fight.

"Stay out this," Paul hissed.

"No!" she responded stubbornly back. She tugged at his arm, and after glancing another angry glare at Tyler, reluctantly followed her a few feet away. "What the hell do you think you're doing, picking a fight like that? You could have gotten yourself suspended!"

"Since when is it your concern for why I'm picking fights?" Paul snapped. "Just stay out of it. I don't need you getting in the way, or worse, getting hurt, because of one of us."

"I'm not a two year old Paul," she responded, scowling. "And… I have a right to be concern, just like anybody else. Since when do you pick fights anyway? Nonetheless, with your fists? There was no need to be so rash!"

"Like I said, just stay out of it," Paul growled, feeling unusually frustrated at the moment.

"Ugh! You are so frustrating!" Dawn declared.

"Paul! Tyler! Come here right now!" That was Roark, and he didn't sound happy. Paul turned away from the blunette, slowly walking up to Roark's desk.

Maybe if he was lucky, they would still be able to attend the field trip tomorrow since they didn't exactly cause any physical damage to each other.

_.x.x.x._

"Paul!"

Paul felt himself scowl at the voice calling out to him. Firmly, he continued walking, refusing to look at the blue-haired girl calling his name and running after him.

"Paul!" she yelled again, louder this time, anger evident in her voice. "Hey! Wait up!"

If possible, he felt his stride quicken even more as she grew near. His teeth were clench together along with his hands in his jacket's pockets. No, he didn't want to see her. He didn't want to see her stupid perfect smile, and those stupid big blue eyes that competed with puppy eyes, or anything that belonged to her. She was the reason he had almost gotten in a fight in Roark because he just had to be in l—

"PAUL!" A hand firmly grabbed his wrist, stopping him in place. He knew he could have easily pulled his wrist out of her grip, but there was just something about her touch that always stopped him from doing so. "Damn it, Paul! Look at me!"

"Go away," he hissed.

"No," she insisted. "Not until you tell me what Roark said about yours and Tyler's almost fight."

Paul forced himself to try to calm down, although it was difficult to do so with her so close to him. "He just said we better not cause anymore trouble or we won't be able to go on the field trip tomorrow and he'll suspend us." He finally said between clenched teeth.

Dawn's eyes widened slightly at this news, although he couldn't see that considering he refused to look at her. "Why were you two even fighting anyways?"

"It's none of your business," Paul responded harshly back, feeling his control slip slightly from his grip. "It doesn't involve you." A lie. "So stay out of it."

Dawn scowled at him and she finally dropped her hand from his wrist. "Why are you being so rude?" she demanded. "I was just worried about you."

"Oh, you're actually worried about me?" he sneered. His control was slipping farther and farther out of his grip. He felt as if his insides were shaking. He almost felt the same way he had at prom. Cold. Vicious. Out of control. Finally he turned to face her as cold words spilled out of his mouth, uncontrollable, like a gushing waterfall, "Well, it's too late to be worrying for me. I don't need you. In fact, I don't need anybody. But I especially don't need _you_."

Dawn's eyes widened at these words in shock, and she took a step back, hurt and anger entering her eyes after a moment or two. "What is _wrong_ with you?" she cried. "You are being an asshole for absolutely no reason!"

"Like I care," he spat.

Paul watched as more hurt filled her eyes and he instantly felt regret well up inside him. He shouldn't have been so cruel. Silently, he turned away and continued on his way to his house before he said anything else to Dawn he would later regret. Dawn didn't chase after him this time and he knew she was mad at him. Maybe this time she really would hate him for the rest of her life. He would deserve it if she did. He was everything she said he was.

He was born an asshole, and he didn't deserve anything. He didn't deserve a dad, he didn't deserve her, and in the end, he lost both of them which only proved his previous thought correct.

* * *

Despite the over all bright and happy and cheerful mood present throughout the whole bus ride, Dawn couldn't shake the feeling of a dark cloud hanging over her head. She felt tired, exhausted, despite getting more than ten hours of sleep last night. Not just that, but she felt cold all over; she felt the same way she did when she had a flu, just without the terrible aches and the actual bug itself.

The whole bus ride to Eterna Forest Dawn could see Paul's seat in the front of the bus, on the other side, three rows up. Barry of course was talking animatedly to him while Paul just looked out the window, a distant look in his eyes, staying perfectly still as if he was actually just a well-sculpted statue of the man himself.

Many times Dawn found herself looking his way, and many times she forced herself to look away, and told herself, _I'm so through with him._

Despite her words though, she was secretly mourning inside.

_He really does hate me now, _she would think, bringing herself close to tears as his cruel words echoed in her ears. She would blink those tears back though, fiercely telling herself, _I don't need him either. He's a jerk and an asshole. I can do so much better._

Unconsciously though she would grip her necklace, anxiety strangely kicking up inside of her. But why was she feeling anxious? She knew there was a reason why, she just forgot why. Some minor detail buried in the back of her mind which was causing her to feel this way.

A two-hour bus ride and a lunch-break later they arrived at Eterna Forest.

Eterna Forest really was beautiful. There was just something really magical about the deep green Everest trees being half-covered in a sparkly cloak of white. But then again, winter had that effect on places. Winter was just a magical season; a season of miracles.

"Okay, so from here on we will be hiking while searching for the moss rock," Roark announced. He had a map out in front of him. "Grab all your stuff, and stick close together. But first, everybody grab a partner."

Dawn's partner was Leona, while Paul's partner was Barry.

"Everybody have a partner? Good. Now follow my lead everybody, and try your best to keep up. Now let's go. We should try to find the moss rock by today, early tomorrow at the latest so we can hike back and be home by noon tomorrow."

Despite the snow on the tree, the ground was bare of snow and the sun burned up quite high in the sky, scorching the students of Roark's two advanced geology classes and his aids for the camping trip. By late afternoon, everybody was sweating from the heat. Every once in a while Roark would stop and lecture on a type of rock they ran into. Other times they would have quick fifteen minute breaks to cool down and take "bathroom breaks".

"I wonder if Roark even knows where the moss rock is," Leona started to wonder as she saw the sun starting to set, stretching its golden and scarlet rays over the forest.

"I'm sure he knows where to find it," Dawn reassured. "I mean, I'm sure this isn't his first class trip to Eterna Forest."

"I guess," Leona mumbled, uncertainly.

"Okay, everybody!" Roark called suddenly from in front of them. "Time to set up camp before it gets too dark! It looks like we're not gonna find the moss rock tonight, but we shouldn't be too far from it now, and should be able to find it before noon tomorrow."

There were murmurs and yawns as students began to set up their tents, some with the help of the aids or other students. By the time the sun was close to entirely disappearing all the tents had been set up and they had a fire blazing with life.

Dawn poked Leona in the back. "Hey, I'm going to go explore a bit. I'll be back in a few minutes."

Leona looked at Dawn and said, "Are you sure you should be wandering around alone at night?"

"It's still light out, and no need to worry, I have my pokémon with me," she reassured. "I'll be back in a few moments. I just want to explore some."

"Well, okay then." Leona said.

Dawn still had that anxious feeling in her chest which only grew stronger as she ventured a little farther into the forest. It was almost as if…as if she was going to discover something important that way. Dawn shook her head, dismissing her thought. The anxiety, it was just in her head. She was sure of it. Nothing out of the ordinary was going to be this way.

Dawn was just on her way back to the campground when something caught her eye. She hadn't seen in the first time because she had mainly been looking up at the sky and the skyscraping coniferous trees, not the ground. But now a thin patch of sunlight was shining down on it, giving it an angelic glow. Shrubberies surrounded it along with tall pine trees.

Dawn frowned as she approached it, that anxious feeling in her chest growing stronger, blossoming into panicky butterfrees in her stomach. She saw it was a cross. A wooden cross with faded white paint. Kneeling down, she turned the cross over and read the front of it.

"In memory of a loving son, a loving husband, and a loving father, rest in peace…" Dawn felt her body go cold. "Mark Berlitz…" And as if it was the black plague itself, she dropped the cross, backing away from it. Her body cold all over, she broke into a run.

_Oh Arceus, no..._

Her father's cross, marked in the same clearing he had died in. Where they found his body.

Her vision was blurred as she ran, blurred by the wind or by tears that had somehow gotten into her eyes, she didn't know. Either way, she wasn't too surprised when she ended up running into what she thought at first was a tree. Her heart was pounding like a drum in her chest, but she knew it wasn't from running. Her body was trembling, the hiccups surfacing.

"Oof!" She fell, skinning her elbows as she did. She could feel blood start to dribble down one and she winced as she moved that elbow.

"What the hell," she heard Paul grumble, who had knocked his head against a tree when she had crashed into him. Dawn could only feel her night getting worse when she realized it was Paul she ran into. She didn't bother getting up. She just wanted to sit there for the rest of her life.

"Dawn?" A rosette rounded the corner, arms folded across her chest as she studied the blunette lying on the ground.

Oh great. Now she definitely wanted to sit there for the rest of her life.

Paul looked down, and seeing the blunette with her lightly bleeding elbow, tired face, and red eyes, he raised an eyebrow.

"What's with you?" he asked, sounding annoyed.

"Nothing, just go away!" she snapped. She could feel the hot tears in her eyes, threatening to spill. She felt anger boiling up inside of her. "Just leave me alone! Go ruin somebody else's life!" she screamed. She could feel herself shaking.

She saw Paul's eyes widen in surprise from her sharp words, but then that cold mask came over his face again and he walked pass her, remaining silent. Ami, however, just gaped at her in a mix of shock and anger.

"What is wrong with you?" she exclaimed, her loud voice echoing throughout the clearing. The last of the sunlight faded away. Dawn forced herself to look up and glare at Ami through the veil of tears in her eyes.

"Go away!" she yelled.

"No! I refuse to," the rosette exclaimed back, her green eyes blazing in fury. "Not until you tell me what you freaking problem is!"

"Just go away!" she yelled again.

"I will not go away," Ami exclaimed again. "How dare you treat Paul that way!"

"After all he have done to me, that's nothing!" she responded sharply back. She had just told him to go away…and to ruin somebody else's day. Okay, so maybe that was a little mean, but he had said worse to her at prom. "Besides, Paul is a jerk! An asshole! He is cruel, and has not a single nice bone in his body! He practically has no heart!" she continued, starting to tremble. She forced herself to breathe, to calm herself.

Ami snorted. "You are so ungrateful! If it wasn't for Paul, Tyler would probably be trying to seduce you right now. Heck, if it wasn't for Paul he could even be doing worse to you right now!"

"Huh?" Dawn frowned, confused. "What do you mean? Paul hasn't done anything for me. And I am not ungrateful!"

"Yes, you are," Ami hissed.

"Just leave me alone," Dawn insisted, starting to tremble again as she forced back tears and snapped out the next few words, "Just go back to your boyfriend who you oh-so-desperately in love with!"

"I'm not in love with him!" Ami shrieked, taking Dawn off guard. Ami's face contorted in anger as she glared at the shocked blunette still sitting pathetically on the ground. "And why should I go back to him? Just to have him moon over you some more, and pay absolutely no attention to me? You are so blind! You can't even see he's still in love with you!"

Dawn's eyes widened at those last words, but then she shook her head. Shakily she stood up, backing up a few feet. "Paul isn't in love with me, he hates me!"

"Ohmygosh, yes he is!" Ami insisted, taking a step forward. "Damn it, you can be so stupid sometimes! You know, I can't even properly get his attention because he's always looking at _you! _When I talk to him, I know he's really not listening to me and is thinking of _you!_ He is in love with you! He _protects_ you!"

"He doesn't protect me!" Dawn yelled back, backing up into a tree. She felt a knot in her chest that got tighter and tighter with every word Ami spoke.

"He defends you, he tells me to be nicer to her, and his fight with Tyler yesterday, it was over _you_. He heard him and some of his friends talking about you, and he just lost it when Tyler said he was going to find out if you were a virgin or not. He _cares _for you, Dawn. Just accept it already!

"No, he doesn't," she backed up into another tree. She refused to believe it. "He can't… he doesn't…" More tears blurred her vision, frustration welling up inside of her. "Paul… he doesn't…if he did, he wouldn't have… at prom…" She started to choke on her words.

"Paul is going through a tough time," Ami said softly, sadly. Dawn was surprised by the girl's suddenly understanding, soft tone. "He's been going through a tough time for a while."

Dawn shook her head; she still refused to believe Paul actually protected her, cared for her, _was in love with her._ It was impossible, especially that last one. It couldn't be possible… could it? They had dated before. There had been a time before prom.

Dawn felt the world tilt beneath her as she fell to her knees again, suddenly feeling very hot and damp. She frowned, confused as she watched the twisted figure of Ami walk away and black spots began to appear in her vision.

Dawn laid her head in her hands, and felt hot tears run down her face for a few seconds before stopping suddenly, and lifting her head up, which felt as if it weighed fifty pounds, she saw the disfigured body of Paul who kneeled down beside and touched her forehead.

"Leave me alone," she croaked, sniffing loudly. She swatted his hand away and backed into a tree, shakily standing up. She shook her head and the black spots from her vision disappeared although she still felt a bit dizzy. She steadied herself by supporting herself against a tree.

Paul remained a silent for a good few seconds, then quietly said, "You hate me now, don't you?"

"Go away," she insisted. How many times had she said that now? Why didn't anybody ever listen to her when she said that? "Please…just go away."

Paul was silent for another good few moments before turning around and walking towards the camp. She thought he was really going to leave, but then he stopped again, turned around, and hesitating for only a moment, he said quietly, quickly:

"She's not wrong."

Dawn looked up at this remark, and she frowned, her eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. "Wrong? She's not wrong about what?"

Paul didn't answer and chose to change the subject. "Why were you running?"

"Huh?"

"When you crashed into me a few minutes ago," Paul said. "You were running. Why?"

"That's none of your business!" she snapped. "Why do even care why I was running? Not like you don't care. You don't care at all. You care about anything. You're just so cold and ruthless. In fact, why are you standing there and pretending to care?" She glared harder at him through glassy red eyes, pressing even closer to the tree as if it could protect her.

Paul just looked at her, a frown settling over his face. He couldn't understand what would upset her this much. Certainly it couldn't have just been him…could it? Paul took a step back as this thought entered his mind, a cold feeling settling in the pit of his stomach.

Was he really that bad?

Unconsciously, he took another step back.

He was. He knew he was. But she could just be so infuriating at times… with her little secrets… the way she could be at times…

After about a minute of silence, Dawn filled it again: "I don't even get you half the times," she confessed. "But I never really got you, didn't I? Not even when we were dating. You were decent and open one moment, and then you would just shut like a clam on me, cold and silent."

Paul was silent for a moment, trying to remember that far back. Yes, he had shut like a clam at times, but that was just his nature, in a way. If he felt he had open up too much he would make up for it by closing himself for a while to balance it out. Almost to protect himself. But that was with other people. He was different with her. When he would close on her like a clam, it was for an entire different reason; because he felt she was hiding something from him, something that would hurt him. Like a clam, he would close up to protect his vulnerable insides, leaving everyone else to his cold hard shell.

"Why didn't you believe me?" Paul's head snapped up to see Dawn still glaring at him, although he could now see there were tears running down her cheeks. "Why did you believe everybody else over me? I don't understand why you did. I… I thought you…you…" She was unable to finish her sentence. She was trembling much too hard to. She looked miserable and angry and confused.

Paul looked down. Not in shame, but because he too was wondering now why he had believed them. He knew it wasn't just hearing what he did the night of prom. It was more than that. It was all the rumors and stories swirling around him, told to him period after period, day after day, stories he had at least a million times between the day him and Dawn first started dating and prom day. Slowly, and against his will, he had started to believe them, the stories he was told endlessly. It was also all the uncertainty, the doubt, knowing Dawn was keeping something from him. But it was something else… something he heard…

"I heard somebody say something about us," Paul revealed. "Something that was true; something that was incredibly accurate. Something that only we should have known…but Kimberlee knew it too."

He remembered that day in the hallway, when he had overheard Kimberlee and Tammy and all their friends gossiping about them.

Dawn just stared at him in confusion for a moment before anger hardened her features once more. "You still shouldn't have believed them!" she insisted, her voice going shrill. "You ruined everything between us because you chose to believe those stupid rumors over me, your _then-girlfriend _at the time! What the hell were you thinking?"

"I don't know what I was thinking!" Paul snapped, feeling his anger rise along with frustration. "I wasn't thinking at all, okay?"

"Obviously," Dawn snorted.

"And what were you thinking when you decided not to tell me you were moving?" Paul retorted back. "Did you just expect me to go to your house one day and find it empty and then be okay with that?"

Of course not!"

"Then why didn't you tell me?" he yelled. "What were you so afraid of that you had to keep it a secret?"

Dawn was caught off by this question. "Wh-what?"

"What were you so afraid of that you couldn't tell me you were moving to Twinleaf? That Barry was your step-brother?" he pressed. "Did you think I wouldn't accept that? That I would leave you or something?" His voice grew louder as his frustration grew, and his glare on the blunette only hardened as her eyes slowly softened.

She stared at him, her shoulders sagging, suddenly tired. That was exactly what she had been scared of. It was a stupid fear now, she realized. The stupidest fear she could have ever had, and as much as she loved to blame Paul for their bad break up, she knew she was as much to blame as him.

Paul understood that her silence meant that was exactly what she had thought. "You knew I moved a lot," he said slowly, forcing his voice to remain steady. "Even if you had stayed, I would have had to move eventually. _Why_ would you be scared of such a stupid thing?"

"What does it matter now?" she responded angrily back.

"You betrayed me," he retorted.

"And like you didn't betray me?" she shot back. "And I'm sorry okay; I should have told you I was moving right away, I should trusted you—"

"It's not just that," he responded in that low voice of his, almost a whisper. "It was when you moved…" Dawn was about to ask him what he meant by that, but he continued, his voice growing louder in volume, "Do you even have a slight _idea_ of how I thought of you after I realized your house was empty?"

Dawn stayed silent, her face still wet and a frown painted unhappily across her face. She knew it was a rhetorical question.

"I thought you were like my father," he snarled, his eyes blazing. He was quivering now, as if he was a volcano about to blow. She stepped back, startled to see Paul like this. "My WEAK, _useless_ father!" he spat out the last word like it was the name of a disease he caught. "My father who was too weak to handle my mother's death, my father who abandoned me when I was only five, my father who _killed himself _to be with my mom!"

Dawn felt her breath catch in her throat, and her eyes widened in surprise. Tears were beginning to form in the corner of her eyes. There was also a lump the size of poké ball growing in her throat. She backed into a tree, feeling weak in the knees. Her hand was clenched over her heart.

"Your father killed himself?" she repeated in a quiet voice. Looking up, she asked, "When?"

Paul was silent, still quivering in an uncontrollable rage. Finally, he said:

"The week before prom." He was silent for a moment, no longer quivering. "I wasn't sick those days before prom. I didn't feel like going to school. I didn't want to see you that week; I didn't want to see _anybody_ that week… I didn't even want to go to prom, but I did anyways, because I knew you wanted to go…"

"But you broke up with me at prom," she pointed out quietly, her eyes on the ground.

Paul sighed exhaustively, and looking up, she saw he had sat down against a tree, leaning against it, his bangs covering his face. For a moment he didn't look an eighteen year old boy but a man who has been through much. He looked defeated, like the abandoned and broken shell of a crabby that had outgrown him.

"I wasn't going to… but then I heard Barry… and something in me just snapped," he said quietly. "I didn't plan for prom to go that way, Dawn. I didn't mean to hurt you the way I did."

Dawn just nodded, a lump in her throat making it impossible for her to speak.

"I shouldn't have said all those things I did… it was unacceptable…inexcusable…" he said quietly.

Dawn swallowed, that lump in her throat growing bigger, those tears beginning to blur her eyes. "Your father died," she said quietly, understanding. "You were mad that you couldn't save someone you loved."

"I hated my father," he responded.

"There's a thin line between love and hate."

Hesitating, she slowly crossed the short distance that separated them. She watched him for a good minute, feeling horribly awkward as she stared at the broken man in front of her.

"Paul?" she asked meekly. He didn't respond. She bent down beside him, and brushed his bangs from his face. He looked up at her.

"We all make mistakes," she told him, unable to meet his eyes. His sad, sad eyes. "Sometimes we just have to learn to forgive the mistakes so we can all move on. You should forgive your father, Paul. I'm sure the reason why he left you was because he loved you."

"Who leaves someone they love?" he mumbled.

"Plenty of people," she responded softly back. "Sometimes they leave because they think they are better off without them. Maybe your father left you selfishly, so he wouldn't have to be reminded of his wife through her children," Paul's hands clenched as she said this. "Or maybe he left you so you didn't have to grow up watching him mope around; so you could have a father who could give you all the love and care you need." His fists loosened.

"And other times—" He looked up again. "—they leave because they have to, even when they don't want to. And then sometimes they leave earlier then they need to because they feel as if everyone hates them and they don't know what to do."

He looked down again, and was silent. He understood she was referring to herself in that last part.

"I don't hate you," he said finally. Silence. "I never did."

Dawn couldn't help it. Even after everything he put her through, and everything they went through together, she smiled.

"I honestly didn't mean to hurt you like that," he said again, unable to look her in the eyes, too ashamed to.

He felt so weak; it was as if suddenly pouring out all of his emotions to her was also taking away his strength. He wasn't use to being so open with anybody. Not even with his brother. He always considered it a weakness in others to open up to others so openly. Maybe he was wrong all along though. Maybe opening up to someone and pouring out their emotions to another made them strong, not weak.

It was silent for a while, and Dawn found herself suddenly wondering about all of the things that could have gone differently for them somehow.

"I wonder… I wonder if," she hesitated with her words, frowning, suddenly not sure of hers and Paul's current situation. Hesitantly, and nervously, she continued, "If things could have gone…differently for us."

Paul stared at her, confusion lit on his face. "What do you mean?"

"I mean… Say, we weren't in high school. We met in college or somewhere else… do you think things could have gone differently for us?" she queried. "Or if things would have still ended up the same?"

Paul remained silent, contemplating her words.

"Maybe," he said finally.

"If we had been older, more mature, it could have been different…" Dawn whispered confidently, feeling her own heart ache at her words with that possibility suddenly feeling so real to her, despite how far away she knew it really was. It was too late for that. Way too late.

Paul looked up, and as their eyes connected Dawn suddenly understood his feelings for her. He felt the same way as her. He always had, even if he had never said them to her out loud, even if his actions contradicted how he really felt.

As if reading her mind, Paul said, "We can't go out now… it would probably just end the same as last time…there's just too spotlight on us, too many stories already going around about us."

Dawn's heart dropped at these words, but she smiled nonetheless, knowing he was right. "They would just eat us up alive," she agreed.

Despite how perfect she saw Jimmy's and Marina's relationship, she knew even those two had had rough patches in the past and had nearly broken up twice in their four years together in high school, once in ninth grade and another time as a junior. Relationships in high school were like survival of the fittest, and the truth was her and Paul weren't the fittest. Not even close to the fittest considering how easily it took for their relationship to break.

"It was much easier when we were just friends," she whispered. "There were the rumors, but we weren't worried about them."

Paul stood up suddenly and dusted himself off. Dawn watched him as he stretched out a hand for her to take. Gratefully she grabbed onto it and he helped pull her up.

"Let's start over," he said.

"Start over?" she questioned.

"Yes…start over," Paul repeated. "Let's not fight anymore. We both agree everything that happened was just a misunderstanding, right?"

Dawn pursed her lips together thoughtfully for a moment, then nodded. "Yes."

"So let's start over," Paul said. "As friends."

Dawn knew he wanted to be more than friends; they both wanted to be more than friends. But it was for the best if they weren't more than friends.

She smiled at him, and stretched out one of her hands. "Friends?" she asked.

He smiled too. "Friends," he agreed. They both shook hands.

* * *

"Oh great, you two are back!" Roark said happily. "You two almost missed it! Leona discovered the moss rock right in our very own campground, and we were just about to evolve eevee to demonstrate its unique abilities!"

Dawn's eyes lit up as she saw the cute fluffy pokémon in Roark's arm, and she joined the crowd gathered around a mossy rock. Leona was next to her and had raised an eyebrow when she saw her and Paul enter the campground together, both surprisingly not arguing.

"You were certainly gone a long time for someone just strolling casually around," Leona commented. "What were doing with Paul?"

"I'll tell you about it later," Dawn promised. "But not right now."

Dawn was grateful when Leona didn't pursue her farther for answers like she had anticipated. Glancing around casually, she spotted Ami who was staring at her from the opposite side of the rock, her lips pursed together. She looked curious; she was probably wondering what had happened between her and Paul.

Dawn turned away from Ami and watched as Roark set Eevee down near the moss rock.

"Just go ahead and touch it," he urged the pokémon in a motherly voice. "Don't be scared. It won't hurt."

Dawn watched as the pokémon took a step forward. With one paw outstretched, its eyes filled with awe and curiosity, it touched the moss-topped stone. Gasps and murmurs of awes filled the campground as eevee started to glow a bright white, the color blaring like a headlight in the darkness of the night.

Dawn could now see Paul, on the other side of the rock with Ami. There eyes met, and they both smiled at each other as friends. She turned back to the pokémon, her eyes filled with awe and amazement.

She had seen pokémon evolve before, but there was just something special about that night that made an immature pokémon evolving into something greater, something better, something stronger, seem even more amazing than all the other times.

_.x._

_You were the disease in my heart  
__The sickness that was tearing it apart  
__The sickness that was spreading like cancer  
__The sickness I just couldn't conquer  
__But now I'm saying,  
__Thank you for making me stronger  
__Thank you, I feel so much better  
__Lately I've felt as if I was falling  
__Sad then angry, like one big mood swing  
__But then you took my hand, and you gave me forgiveness  
__I returned the favor, and healed your wounds with a kiss  
I use to feel nothing but sadness  
__Nothing but madness  
__But then you helped cure my symptoms,  
__As if you were lithium_

* * *

**Lithium:** _Extremely Light Metallic Element:_ a soft-silver white chemical element that is the lightest metal known, used in alloys, ceramics, and batteries, and in compounds as a medical treatment for manic despressive disorders (AKA bipolar disorder). Its also extremely reactive, like some of you mentioned, due to being in group one of the periodic table.  
**  
Hmm… not really sure what to say.**

**I only have two questions for this chapter and they are:**

**1. What do you think of Dawn's and Paul's decision to just be friends?**  
**2. What did you think of Eevee's evolution?**

**Also the next chapter will be called "Steel". Like always, feel free to put your input on that. (: Next chapter may also be short. N?ot too short, but shorter than I usually make my chapters. xD Or maybe not. It all depends, really. OH! And also I got inspiration to write the beginning of last chapter from watching the movie "Easy A" and when Olive says something like, "I'll be the dirtiest skank they have ever seen" (I haven't seen this movie in like a month, so I probably got the line wrong, but oh well).**

**Also, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE REVIEWS! (: **


	19. Steel

_**Diamond and Pearl **_

**Summary: **AU. Part 2: Platinum. She is the diamond that broke; he is the pearl that longs to be someone else. They were platinum, but they couldn't take the heat. Both were hurt and betrayed, but perhaps a second chance in Twinleaf can set things right. Ikarishipping!

_**PART TWO**_—**_Platinum_**

**Chapter Nineteen**

During hours of walking back to where the bus was parked and the two hours it took to get back to Eterna City, Dawn found herself recounting last year's events in her head. On the side of the bus, two seats ahead of her, was Paul who had offered her a smile as her and Leona walked by to take their own seats. She smiled back, of course.

They were friends once. Before all the drama had gone down, they had been friends, as hard as it was to believe now.

As the bus came to a rolling halt at a stop sign, she spotted two starlies nearby; they were close to each other, but were separated by an inch. As one starly flew away, the other starly watched him for a second, as if wondering if she should follow. Glancing at the male starly one last time though, she flew in the other direction.

The bus rolled along again, and Dawn found body twisting in her cramped seat as she turned to get a good look at the starly one more time. She watched with a heavy heart as the starly flew out of sight, in the opposite direction of its friend.

* * *

"…like, I was thinking of just simply giving him a gift card for his favorite restaurant in Veilstone, Zippo's All-You-Can-Eat Buffet, but I'm not so sure now… I mean, a gift card feels kind of impersonal…"

At Twinleaf's small and only local park, six girls sat around, one on the bottom of a slide, two on top of the slide, another sitting inside a tube that was only a few feet away from the slide, two on top of the little tube, and another was leaning over a rail that led to the top of the slide and the platform that supported it.

"Well, you are buying Ash a gift card for his favorite restaurant," May pointed out. "So it's not really impersonal. You're showing him you know him; like you're showing him that you know his favorite restaurant, and that you know he likes to eat."

"Hmm, I guess," Misty mumbled. "But still. It just feels like I could give him something a little more special. Like what if for Valentine's Day he shows up with a diamond ring? Then what?"

"Knowing Ash," Dawn said, "he'll forget it's even Valentine's Day, and won't even have a gift for you."

"Besides, fifty bucks for food at his favorite restaurant is probably _Ash's _equality of a diamond ring," Leaf chimed in. The six girls sitting around giggled at this, seeing the truth in Leaf's words.

"Ash does love his food," Misty chuckled.

"You shouldn't stress too much over it anyways," Marina told her. "I try not to. Like I've been together with Jimmy for what, four years now, and I _still_ struggle to buy something I think he may like!"

"Guys are tough to buy for," Zoey agreed. "I mean, they're not like us and fall to our knees at every piece of pretty jewelry we see."

"I beg a differ, but I don't fall to my knees over jewelry," May butted in. "If I fall to my knees over anything, its shoes. Specifically, wedges."

Zoey rolled her eyes at this.

Somehow recently May had fallen into an obsession with wedges. In about the last month or so, she had bought four new pairs of them, claiming they made her feet look good. Honestly though, Dawn had a hunch May only liked them because they didn't make her look so short when she was holding hands with Drew.

"You're weird," Dawn told her. The blunette had been staring off into the distance, staring at two starlies that were perched next to each other, one nuzzling the other.

May glared at her, childishly sticking her tongue out at her before turning away, pouting.

"Aren't these wedges cute though?" she asked. She stuck out a foot, showing off a red strappy wedge heel with a red bow in the middle. The wedge heel was a light brown and looked as if it was made of wood. "I might wear these ones to prom."

"Cute…" Dawn murmured. She had turned her gaze to her feet. "So, you're, um, wearing a red dress again?"

May nodded slowly, suddenly wondering if Dawn was still sensitive to the topic of prom. The other girls exchanged glances too. "Yeah… it's different looking from the last dress though."

"Cool."

They exchanged glances again.

"So are you going to your prom this year? You know, the one at Twinleaf?" Misty questioned, voice purposely cheerful.

Dawn shrugged. "I dunno. It's in like two months, and I haven't even brought the ticket yet or a dress or anything for it…"

"Two months is plenty of time!" Marina told her. "You have plenty of time to buy a dress in that time! In fact, it's plenty of time to buy _two _dresses for prom!"

"Two?" Dawn frowned. "Why would I need two dresses for one prom?"

"Not two dresses for _one_ prom, two dresses for _two_ proms." Misty corrected.

"Two proms—?"

"Yes, two proms. The Twinleaf prom and the Veilstone prom," Zoey interrupted.

"You need closure from Veilstone High School and all its people," Leaf explained quickly, before Dawn had a chance to protest.

A look of horror crossed Dawn's face as vivid images filled her mind of a taunting crowd, throwing names at her and devilish looks, Paul in the middle of it, like a tyrant and his army overthrowing the queen of a nation. For a moment she thought of Diamond Berlitz and her affair with Raymond, the tyrant who assassinated her, but who in the end had regretted it, having fallen in love with her. The images faded and Dawn found herself fiercely shaking her head.

"No, I can't. I'm not even sure I'm going to Twinleaf's prom. I… I can't."

"Dawn, please don't let what happened at the Veilstone prom stop you from going to your senior prom at Twinleaf," Misty pleaded. "What happened was stupid and shouldn't have happened. You didn't deserve all that to happen, especially all in one night."

"Besides, imagine how jealous you would make that jerkface Paul if you show up in another totally hot and gorgeous dress with an equally hot and gorgeous guy!" Leaf told her, giving her a girlish smile.

Dawn thought about this but then shook her head. "I don't wanna make him jealous though."

"But it can be like a taste of sweet revenge after all the shit he put you through," Zoey reasoned. "You still want to get back at him from prom, don't you?"

Dawn smiled guiltily. "Um, actually not anymore. We… we're friends now."

Zoey blinked disbelievingly, May's sapphire eyes widened, Misty's jaw dropped, Marina banged her head on the inside of the tube from sitting upright suddenly in shock, and Leaf fell from her position on top of the tube.

"Friends?" Leaf sputtered, standing up after her fall with woodchips entangled into her now messy brown hair.

"Since when?" Misty nearly shrieked, that look of disbelief still painted on her face and a wash of confusion now present on her face.

Dawn blushed. "Um, since we took a field trip like two weeks ago. We were fighting and then… then in the end, we just decided we were sick of fighting and we agreed to be friends."

"And you forgave him that easily?" Misty frowned.

Dawn nodded.

"You shouldn't have," Zoey told her. "Why did you forgive him so easily after everything he put you through? He had everybody turn on you at prom, and all those names he called you, and then everything else this year. Honestly Dawn, he doesn't _deserve_ forgiveness."

"Maybe," she murmured. A little louder, she said, "But not forgiving him would be like not forgiving you guys."

This silenced them for a while as they took that last sentence in. A look of guilt was now present on their face, and Dawn noted how they could no longer meet her eyes.

"Paul's been through a lot," she said. "You guys probably don't know that. I don't think anybody really does. They just see him as they way he lets people see him and from there they assume."

A moment of silence cloaked them.

"You assumed too," Misty pointed out quietly. "At the slumber party. You said he was just born an asshole and nothing but a spoiled little brat."

Dawn smiled sadly. "Yeah. I did." Sighing, she turned her gaze to the sky.

"But you were still the one. The only one," Misty murmured absently.

"The only one?" Dawn murmured curiously. "What do you mean?"

"You were the only one he asked out," she said. "_You_ were probably the _only one _to try to actually _get_ him, the only one to actually try to _understand_ him. And he probably saw it that way. When he pushed you away, you didn't give up. You questioned him and challenged him for his ways. At first you assumed, but then when you asked questions, you got answers and you no longer needed to assume. You were _the only one_."

Dawn pondered this for a while. "Yeah, I guess I was the only one."

"It's no wonder why you keep coming back together," May said.

Dawn blushed, misinterpreting May's statement. "Yeah, but we're not dating again or anything. We're _just friends _and strictly only that."

"I know," May said. "I just mean its like every time you two are fighting or seem to hate each other, you end up making up and becoming friends. Like this is the third time already."

"If I didn't know any better, I would say you two are meant to be," Marina teased her. Dawn's cheeks reddened at this comment and she scowled.

"Shut up…"

A chorus of laughter echoed throughout the playground.

* * *

"Happy Valentine's Day!"

Dawn watched as her dorky blonde-haired step-brother shoved a bouquet of roses in the face of a shocked peach-haired coordinator, sweat rolling down his face and pit stains under his arms. She couldn't help but smile. She had never seen her loud, overbearing step-brother/childhood friend so nervous in his entire life.

"Dork…" she chuckled, rolling her eyes and grinning to herself.

"Roses?" Ursula exclaimed, surprised. She looked up to see who was the idiot who would dare shove roses in her face and looked even more surprised to see it was Barry. Ursula's gaze turned to the red roses Barry still held in his sweating palms, and then back at the blonde-haired boy holding them who looked ready to drown in his own sweat.

"Red roses? Seriously? That is so cliché," she said. She took the roses anyway, smiling fondly at them. "And didn't I tell you I like pink roses?"

"They were out of those," Barry pouted. "And FYI, I like cliché."

"Obviously," Ursula said, laughing. Standing on her toes, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for the roses, Barry-bear."

"Aw, shucks," Barry blushed, grinning. "It was nothing, Ursy."

Dawn cringed slightly at the embarrassing pet names. Were her and Paul the only couple to not call each other weird pet names? Wait, _had_ they called each other weird pet names?

Dawn's forehead wrinkled as she attempted to recall memories of her and Paul together. She couldn't remember ever calling Paul, or _anybody_ she had dated for that matter, any embarrassing petname as far as she could remember.

Dawn glanced around and saw that the school grounds were getting very crowded as it got closer to the time the bell would ring for school to start. Large blue eyes surveyed the scene: couples holding hand, a couple smiling at each other as they exchanged gifts, a brown-haired girl's sea green eyes widening as her boyfriend presented her a beautiful amethyst necklace.

Glancing around all Dawn saw was couples. A ginger-haired senior couple that she heard had been dating for six years and were engaged walked by, smiling at each other and talking enthusiastically; a short brown-haired girl smiled at her boyfriend who was much taller than her as she wrapped her arms around him in a loving hug; a girl with beautiful shimmering blonde hair teasingly stole her boyfriend's beanie which ended with him chasing her and then them embracing.

Single Awareness Day.

Every Valentine's Day, she had been single, but never once she had thought of Valentine's Day as that. Now watching all the couples hold hands, giggle, and fawn over each other, she realized just how lonely she was.

Once she had loved being single. While she had enjoyed dating a few boys and experimenting with her taste in guy, in the end she always realized that her and that certain boy she was dating at the time were better off just friends. No exceptions. She just never felt the way she should have around them. She didn't feel the fairytale feeling she had heard about since she was four; she didn't feel that flutter in her chest, the butterfrees in her stomach, or the tingling in her palms.

That is, until she met a certain boy exactly a year ago…

_No, no! _Dawn shook her head fiercely. _Those feelings were just my imagination. They weren't real, I just made them up. He's just the same as the other ones! He's meant to be nothing but a friend. Just a friend, nothing more. Just a friend._

Just a friend.

A bitter taste rose in Dawn's mouth and she realized it was because she detested those words. She had heard them and said them way too many times.

Another couple walked by: a girl with long, sleek brown hair with blonde highlights and a boy with shaggy black hair that went just above his shoulders. The girl was laughing as he whispered something in her ear, and Dawn envied the way her turquoise eyes sparkled with happiness.

They sparkled the way her eyes once had.

Dawn walked away as the bell for school to start rang, and she attempted to ignore the pang in her heart and the lack of a hand holding hers as she walked down a couple-filled corridor.

"As I'm sure you're all aware, today is Valentine's Day," Mrs. Juniper started off the day.

At those words, Dawn just knew with a sinking feeling she was not going to enjoy the class period. But she already knew that the moment she entered the classroom and still all she saw was couples. Couples, couples, and more couples. Was everybody in their school dating someone except for her? Sighing, she took her seat next to Leona.

"Cute," Dawn commented to Leona, referring to the stuffed chimchar on the brunette's desk. "Where did you get it?" At this question Leona's cheeks turned bright pink and Dawn felt her heart sink. It was then Dawn also noticed Leona's choice of clothing for that day: a cute light pink dress dotted with bright red hearts all over with a matching red waistband and bow in the back and a white jacket which she left unzipped.

_When did you get a boyfriend? _Dawn wondered, trying her best to stop a grim look from slipping onto her face. Dawn could now understood why some people were bitter about Valentine's Day; she was now one of those people.

"It's nothing," Leona responded modestly, pink still tingeing her cheeks. "It's just this one guy who likes me…"

"And you like him back," she teased her friend, a real smile slipping onto her face. Okay, maybe it was S.A.D. for her, but that didn't mean her best friend had to be single with her too.

Leona's cheeks turned scarlet at that comment and she turned away.

"Today I have a Valentine's Day project for all of you," Mrs. Juniper's voice snapped Dawn back to the present.

From the other side of the room Dawn caught sight of Paul's unique plum-colored hair and felt a small smile slip onto her face. Forcing herself to look at Mrs. Juniper, she forced down images and thoughts of Paul in order to focus on what the English teacher was saying.

"Today I want you to make a Valentine's Day card for someone special to you, whether it's a boyfriend, girlfriend, your mom or dad, or a close friend of yours," Mrs. Juniper started. "To add some literature in all this, I want you to describe your favorite memory with that person: It needs to be at least a paragraph or five sentences long. Your can use scissors, glue, glitter, whatever. Get as creative as you want. Just don't get loud or make too much of a mess or we're not getting another day like this for Easter. Now if you don't have any questions, get to work."

Dawn walked over to the supplies table along with half of the class and waited patiently for her turn to get some construction paper and the other supplies she needed. Dawn stared at the supplies in front of her and unconsciously reached for some purple scissors and several different shades of colored paper along with a purple glue stick. She reached for a piece of purple construction paper just as someone else did.

"Oops, sorry," she apologized, and looked up. Dawn felt her heart nearly stop as she realized it was Paul's hand she brushed.

Paul just gave a small grunt in reply and grabbed the construction paper, tucking it under his armpits as he reached for his other supplies.

Dawn watched him, silently in shock, but then cleared her throat and forced herself to say something.

"So, who are you making your Valentine's Day card for?" she questioned, deliberately taking her time in grabbing the rest of her supplies. She mimicked Paul by putting her construction paper under her armpit too. Slowly, she reached for another one, this time in the hue of light blue.

Paul just shrugged. "Haven't decided yet," he mumbled in response. "How about you?"

"I haven't decided either," she responded back. She pretended to ponder over what the third color for her card should be. Pink, red, or perhaps white? Dawn had already decided white.

Silence enveloped them, and as anxious butterflies started to flutter in her stomach, she picked up a small bottle of blue and purple glitter and was about to leave when Paul finally spoke.

"Exactly a year ago I attended my first day of Veilstone High," Paul said.

Dawn was about to say 'so', when she suddenly realized why he said that.

"We've known each other for exactly a year," she said. Dawn frowned at this.

A year ago she had just met Paul. A year ago she was still at Veilstone. A year ago she still had it all. A year ago she had still been popular, she had lived in Veilstone, she had been a cheerleader. She had been the "it" girl. A year ago she was dreaming of prom and would have never been able to imagine that prom could be anything but perfect. A year ago she had just met Paul, the boy who turned her world upside down.

"So much has happened since then," she murmured, suddenly feeling choked up. Had it really only been a year? It felt as if a decade had gone by since that fated day when Paul came to Veilstone.

"A lot has happened," Paul agreed, his voice distant. Dawn looked up at him and saw his eyes were also distant, staring at the supplies in his hands as if he couldn't see them, as if he was in a different place and a different time, a time in the past.

_Valentine's Day, _Dawn thought. _The day of love. The day I met Paul. Maybe—_ Dawn's eyes widened as she realized where her thoughts were taking her. _No. Just because you met him on Valentine's Day… No, just no. Stop it. We're just friends, nothing more. _However Dawn could feel a giddyness and a hope rising inside her chest, something which scared Dawn.

"Good luck on your Valentine's Day card," she told Paul, flashing him a smile before taking her supplies and walking back to her desk.

"You too," he murmured.

_~.~.~.~_

"_AAAAAAHHHH!"_

"Marina?" Dawn exclaimed over the phone, surprised by the blunette's loud scream on the other end of the phone. "Are you alright?"

"Perfect!" Marina chirped happily, giggling like a lovesick schoolgirl. Dawn frowned, wondering what was wrong with Marina. She was acting so weird. Maybe she went to the dentist and was on laughing gas….

"You sure?" she asked, just to be safe.

"Yup! Trust me, I am waaaay more than okay! Today was perfect, absolutely perfect!" Marina declared. "Oh I wish you were here today at school then you would know… Oh, today was absolutely the best Valentine's Day ever! It was just amazing, no, _perfect!_ Seriously, Dawn, it was. If only you were here…"

Dawn frowned, still confused by Marina's cryptic words. However that same feeling of loneliness she had felt all day washed over her as she realized Marina was being all girly and giggly over some mushy date with Jimmy.

"I'm happy for you," she told her.

"No, don't be happy for me yet, not until I tell you the news." Another series of giggles escaping Marina's lips followed by laughs that Marina couldn't seem to control. Dawn had the perfect image of Marina sitting on her pretty white bed, her face red, kicking and punching the bed as she laughed.

"What's the news?" Dawn questioned, truly curious. What was the news that was making Marina so happy and giggly.

"Okay, okay, the news is that… that…heehee…"

"Marina?"

"Me and Jimmy…ohmygosh…heeheehee…it was perfect…the parking lot… roses… Jimmy, he… he…"

"Marina, breathe!" Dawn sweat dropped. "What is it? What did he do?"

"He…he…"

Dawn felt her heart thump in her chest as she waited for Marina's next words, although as the moments dragged on as she waited for Marina to be able to respond intelligibly, she realized she already knew what her friend was going to say. Dawn felt her heart race in her chest while goosebumps formed on her arms from a chilly breeze that entered the room.

Jimmy and Marina, the perfect couple.

"_You're so lucky."_

"_I am?" Marina cocked her head to the side; she was still smiling but there was a hint of curiosity in her eyes. "Why is that?"_

"_Because you have Jimmy," she laughed. "You two are like the perfect couple. You two were like made for each other. You two are always so happy together, always going on dates and going to dances together. You two were voted 'Couple of the Year' in middle school, and no doubt you'll be the couple presented in the 'Most Likely to Last' section of the yearbook next year…"_

"He proposed to me!" Marina was finally able to exclaim. "We're engaged!"

"Ohmygosh, congratulations!" Dawn exclaimed, not surprised at all but thrilled for her friend.

She ignored the voice inside her head that told her she was being left behind. She ignored the bitter and jealous part of her that envied Marina and her love life. She ignored the part of her heart that felt as if it was missing. However, after about another hour of talking on the phone with Marina, and Dawn entered her bathroom she saw her eyes.

They were rimmed with red. In her eyes she saw the hot tears that laid hidden behind large blue eyes, waiting. Dawn blinked them back now, shocked by the sudden sob that shook her body and the coldness that suddenly settled over her, making her fall to her knees.

_All I ever wanted, _she thought. _Was a relationship like that. The perfect high-school relationship._

But she already realized it was too late for one. She was growing old and she was growing up. In just a little more than a month she would be of legal age, followed by graduation only two months later, and then… then she would be on her own.

* * *

**Caps and Gowns**

Don't forget to purchase your caps and gowns before it's too late! Last chance to buy them will be April 12th!

…

…

…

**NOMINATIONS**

**Prom Queen Nominations:**

Amethyst Amulet  
Dawn Berlitz  
Geraldine Kelly

**Prom King Nominations: **

Buck Burns  
Paul Shinji  
Cilan Treble

DON'T FORGET TO VOTE FOR YOUR PROM QUEEN AND KING!

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**Graduation Speech**

For any senior who would like to try out for a chance to give a speech for graduation, please write the speech you would like to give and then turn it in to Mrs. Juniper, Room 308. You will then be notified on April 30th whether or not your speech has been accepted.

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**Your Junior/Senior Prom Promises Romance and Elegance in the Beautiful Gardens of the Flower Paradise Gardens**

This year, juniors and seniors are given the opportunity to experience their prom in the beautiful and romantic gardens of the Flower Paradise Gardens, located in Floaroma. The Flower Paradise Gardens features a dance floor for the partiers, a moonlit balcony for the romantics, fountains shaped like the legendaries for the dreamers, a diner for the eaters, and of course, the famous Flower Paradise gardens for the artistic! The theme for this prom is "Gardens of Hope" which will include a dessert station, unlimited beverages, arcade games, photo booths, effect lighting, fog machine, and hours of fun! **Tickets are on sale now for $80.00**. Get your ticket now before it's too late! Sale will end April 1st. Buy your ticket now if you haven't already! Don't miss this once-in-a-lifetime experience! **Dance will be held on April 16****th**** from 8:00 to 12:00!** Guests will have to fill out a permission slip which must be filled out and turned in by April 1st by 5:00 PM.

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**Discover the Secrets of Romance Under Moonlit Skies and Constellations at Your Senior Prom! **

Fulfill your dream of the perfect prom at your last formal dance of the year seniors! This year senior prom will include experiencing prom under the starry sky in our own High School's auditorium or New Gym which will be decorated to replicate the night sky. The Senior Prom theme for this year will be called "Secrets of the Night" and will feature but is not limited to a dance floor, a disco ball, photo booths, dry ice, fog machines, effect lighting, plenty of snacks and beverages, romantic balconies, and much more! Do not miss your senior prom! Live your perfect prom daydream! Get your tickets now! **Tickets are on sale for $75.00! **Price will go up to $80.00 on April 1st! **Prom will be held on Saturday, May 28****th**** and will last from 8PM to 12AM!** Tickets will stop selling on May 13th! Get your tickets before the deadline! THIS IS A ONCE-IN-A-LIFETIME OPPORTUNITY! DO NOT MISS OUT ON IT! Guests will have to fill out a permission slip which MUST be turned in with money by 5PM on May 13th! Guests must also be approved by the dean of their school!

…

…

…

* * *

"Yes, I filled out the permission slip…I'll turn it in next weekend, I just don't have time now…Why? Because I have to work…Okay…Bye then…I _promise_ I'll turn it in next week… Bye, tell the others 'hi' for me…May, for the last time, I said I'll turn it in next week and I will!… No, I'm not procrastinating; like I said, I'm really busy… I'm hanging up now… I'm serious, I will hang up… _Bye_ May!" _Beep!_

"Geez, that woman can talk!" Dawn muttered under her breath as she filled the last part of her application for a scholarship to the college of her dream, _EnspireMe_, and an application to the college itself.

_EnspireMe_ was a college located in Hearthome City, and it was a college for inspiring artists and creative souls like herself. The college was most famous in the fashion industry and had over 20 specialized majors one could choose from, including Jewelry Design, Footwear Design, Fashion Design, and Pokémon Styling, the last one being a passion of hers since she turned ten and entered her first Hearthome Collection contest (which was sponsored by _EnspireMe_). Over the years she had discovered her dream was to be a Pokémon Stylist and she was fully aware _EnspireMe_ was the perfect college to help her achieve that job in life. Not just that but _EnspireMe _was also a popular college for coordinators and contests.

"Filling out college applications on the job, heh?" Dawn felt the hairs on the back of her neck stand up at the sound of the voice and startled, words tumbled out of her mouth clumsily.

"Welcome to Tony's smoothie shop, buy one smoothie get two free…wait, I mean, um, buy two get one free…smoothies, argh, umm…" Dawn blinked as she saw the amused glint in Paul's onyx-colored eyes.

"Oh. It's you."

"'Oh. It's you'." Paul repeated her words blankly.

Dawn felt a blush rise on her cheeks. "Well, I didn't mean it like that… erm, would you like to buy a smoothie?" Dawn felt her blush deepen as a smirk made its way on Paul's face.

"Sure, DeeDee," he said, referring to her uniform which still had her silly nickname stitched onto it. "I'll have a Watermelon smoothie and a Wild Berry smoothie…and that's two smoothies, so I get one free, right? Lets make the third one Strawberry Banana. Reggie likes Strawberry Banana. Make all of them mediums."

"I'm starting to wonder if you came here just to make fun of me," she told him, frowning slightly. "Would you like whip cream and a cherry on your smoothies?"

"Sure, why not," Paul said. "I'll also take a blueberry muffin with the order."

"And is that all?"

"Yes."

"Would that be for here or to go?"

"Just make it to go."

"That will be ten oh eight, please."

"Ten oh eight?" Paul raised an eyebrow. "Just for two smoothies and a muffin?"

Dawn smiled slightly at him. "Technically, it's _three_ smoothies and a muffin. And nobody ever said Tony's Smoothie Shop was the cheapest."

"Well, technically, I'm only paying for _two_," Paul said, taking out his wallet and pulling out a ten dollar bill and a five. "Keep the change."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

"Well, okay then…"

As Dawn made his smoothies and got his muffin, Paul couldn't help but see what kind of scholarship and college she was applying for; somehow, he wasn't surprised when he saw the college application was for _EnspireMe_. A few minutes later Dawn arrived with his smoothies and muffin.

"So you're applying for EnspireMe, eh?" He said as nonchalantly as he could. "That's in Hearthome, isn't it?" She nodded, busying herself by wiping the counter down with a washcloth.

"Mhm. It's like my dream college. It's been my dream college since I was like, _ten_. It's just the perfect college for me," she said. "How about you? Have you filled out any college applications yet?"

"Only one. I applied for it in the beginning of this year though, like in September," he responded.

"That's cool. Which college is it?"

"Actually, it's a university," Paul corrected her after a moment. Momentarily, Dawn just stopped cleaning and just looked at him, curiosity present in her ocean blue eyes. "It's in Unova. It's a great university for strong and aspiring trainers. It's called _Leggendario_."

"It's…in Unova?" she repeated. Unconsciously, she felt her hands clench the washcloth in her hands, wringing the soft material which only response was to drip out water.

Paul nodded, eyeing her cautiously.

"But… isn't that like, far away? Like, on the other side of the globe?" she asked. Dawn was surprised by how high-pitched her voice sounded. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to breathe in order to calm her racing heart. What was this sudden feeling coming over her?

"I don't think it's _that_ far away," Paul muttered. "But yes, it's pretty far away. Farther away than Kanto or Johto, anyway."

"Oh." Shaking her head, she forced herself to smile, "So, did you get a response back from the coll…university?"

"Yeah. I got accepted."

Still, she forced that smile to stay on that face. "That's excellent news!" Still breathing deeply through her mouth, she forced her mind to focus on the task at hand.

"I'm going to go there in the fall," he told her.

"That's cool." She scrubbed at a stubborn stain on the counter, forcing her mind to concentrate with all its might on reducing the big brown stain to nothing.

_Stupid stain, _she thought, scrubbing harder on it. Eventually she had to give up on it, admitting ruefully to herself it would not come up no matter how hard she scrubbed at it or attempted to make it disappear with her mind.

When Dawn looked up, she saw Paul was still there, watching her, smoothies and muffin untouched.

"Aren't you going to eat your muffin?" she questioned after a moment.

"No. It's for you," he responded.

"For me?" she repeated, surprised. "Why?"

"I want to make sure you're still eating like any other healthy teenage girl." He smirked slightly as he said this and she felt her cheeks heat up at his words and…generosity.

"FYI, I am," she responded. "In fact, I got myself weighed two days ago at the doctors and I weighed one hundred and eight pounds!"

"Really? And how do I know you're not just lying and making that up?" he responded.

"Why would I make it up?"

"Because you don't want to eat my muffin and that's your way of getting out of it?"

"Hm, fair point, I suppose," she said, taking the muffin. "Thanks I guess. I'll have to eat this on my lunch break which is…what do you know, in another half hour!"

Paul just nodded, his eyes glued to her, as if he was afraid she would suddenly go chaotic and go on an angry rampage like an out of control primeape. His gaze was unnerving and Dawn found herself unable to meet his eyes. That fluttering in her chest only got worse and the pink in her cheeks only got pinker as the silence dragged on between them.

"So Unova…" she said, her voice raspy. She cleared her throat, and forced herself to face him. "What city is Leggendia in?"

"_Leggendario_," Paul corrected her. "It's an Italian name. It's in Opelucid City which is sort of in the middle of Unova."

_That's comforting, _Dawn thought sarcastically. _Far away, but not too far away. Heh._

As if reading her mind, Paul said: "You'll enjoy EnspireMe. It's a great school. My brother has a friend who went there, and she really enjoyed it. Lots of activities and majors to choose from. You'll be so busy with classes you want to take, you won't have time to think of much else."

Dawn stared at him with a frown painted on her face, her eyebrows pulled together in confusion. Then she realized the true meaning of his words.

_All in all, I'll be so busy with classes I'll forget about you eventually,_ she thought, voicing the words Paul really meant to say.

_But you're wrong, _a sad voice inside of her said. _I won't forget you, or my friends, or anybody I've met during these four years of high school. I can't. I won't._ She wanted to tell him that. She almost did. But instead, she smiled.

"Yeah, I suppose," she said.

Finally, Paul got up and took the gray tray that was half-filled with smoothies. He got up to leave, but then halted. "Are you going to prom?"

This question took Dawn by surprised. "Oh, umm, yeah. I am going to prom," she responded. "Are you?"

Paul was silent for a moment, and then he responded, "Yeah. I am." He turned toward her one last time. "Bye… Dawn."

Dawn smiled, her elbows propped up on the cleaned counter and her hands folded under her chin. "See ya, Paul…"

Without another word, he left and Dawn sighed.

Already he felt as if he was half a world away, not outside of Tony's Smoothie Shop.

_Funny, _Dawn thought. When she first met him, she hated him, then when they were friends, she loved him, and then when they broke up, she hated him again. Now she was back to liking him and she couldn't have him and would never see him again because he was going to a university in Unova.

It was like a vicious cycle of love and hatred, friends and enemies, lovers and loathers. But in the end, they got stuck in the neutral zone of the cycle, which Dawn realized now was the worst of the could look, but not have.

Dawn sighed and thought of the pass few minutes with her and Paul and their conversation about colleges and universities. Her eyebrows drew together as a frown pulled down on her lips.

Why did it feel like Paul had been trying to tell her goodbye?

* * *

April 15th, 2011.

2:28 AM.

A restless blunette tossed and turned in the sheets on her bed.

_She was the queen of their school._

_The empress, the crowned head, the superior, the diamond. _

_She was **Dawn Berlitz.**_

_The _perfect_ and _beautiful_ Dawn Berlitz._

Beads of sweat rolled down the blunette's head. Her hands unconsciously clenched her sheets as she turned again, fear growing in her chest as the beautiful blue-haired goddess made that fated walk through the crowded room in her dream.

She didn't want to see her cry… she knew the goddess was going to cry… That man, that handsome lavender-haired man, was going to hurt her. The crowd, like a bunch of unruly animals, was starting to gather around.

_The perfect, the beautiful…they became **imperfect**, they became **ugly**._

_Chaos… she laid broken on the floor._

_The queen, broken… the queen, overruled._

_**Tyranny.**_

Why didn't she see it coming? It had been boiling over, getting ready to break, like a storm rising in the air. Why didn't she feel the chilly wind? Why didn't she taste the salty tear-like rain before it was too late?

She was humiliated. The students who had admired her, who had wanted to be like her, who wanted to _be_ her, turned on her. They left her shame-faced and broken. She could never go back to that place after that kind of humiliation.

But she did… everyday, in her thoughts, in her memories, in her daydreams. Everyday she pictured herself at Veilstone again and everything was _okay. _

But it was never going to be okay again.

At least, not the way it used to be.

A tear slipped from Dawn's eyes, a small sob escaping the sleeping girl's throat.

"_Welcome back, DeeDee."_

_**Sneers.**_

"_Nice outfit, DeeDee. So did you get a tongue piercing?"_

_**Taunts.**_

Ignore them, _she told herself. And she did ignore them. _

_**Envy. **_

_She was different. They sensed that. _

_They were scared by that._

She had never fit in at Twinleaf. In Twinleaf, she was just another girl, a girl who once had sparkly hair and who had once had a phobia of Plusles and Minuns. That was all they knew about her; that was all they cared to know about her.

She didn't need them.

She would never be their queen…

She would never be anybody's queen ever again.

Another tear slipped from Dawn's eyes.

She was never a queen.

"_Are you going to prom?"_

* * *

Blue ringlets cascaded down pass Dawn's shoulders, touching bare ivory-colored skin, as she released the last curl from the iron. Carefully she applied soft peach and bronze-colored eye shadow while she swiped dark volumizing mascara on her eyelashes which gave it that dramatic look. Coral colored lipstick was applied soon after to her lips. One song was playing continuously in the background as she got ready for prom, and Dawn focused on those lyrics, memorizing the song's lyrics in just the first few runs.

"_Well, I've been afraid of changing'  
Cause I've built my life around you  
__But time makes you bolder  
Children get older  
And I'm getting older too"_

A towel dropped to the ground as Dawn pulled on lingerie and the prom dress she had bought specifically for the Twinleaf Prom.

The dress was beautiful.

Almost as beautiful as her first prom dress… or maybe even more beautiful. After a moment Dawn decided they were both equally beautiful.

The dress was a beautiful ball gown type of dress, like the dress Cinderella wore to the ball where she met her Prince Charming. However, unlike Cinderella's dress, this dress was a very light pink. Light pink chiffon sleeves that sparkled with hidden glitter in the bathroom's light fell off her shoulders, showing off her collarbone and the diamond D-shaped necklace she wore on a daily basis.

The dress's bodice was a lighter pink than the bottom half, a soft shell pink on rose pink, which was separated at the waist by a waistband with a bow in the back; small, glittery prints of roses that were no bigger than the tip of her pinky were also scattered on the bodice. The bottom half of the gown consisted of many layers that were only a shade darker than the top, and was topped by the same sparkly and pale pink material as the sleeves.

Smiling at herself, Dawn felt a faint and familiar spark, a spark that was similar to the one she usually felt before dances. It was a spark she hadn't felt in over a year. Pleased by the familiar tingling of excitement she felt all over, she twirled in her gown, having to pick up the thick, lower part of the dress so it wouldn't get dirty.

Her bad dream out of her mind, Dawn felt beautiful.

Gardens of Hope…

That was the theme of the prom.

_Hope, _Dawn thought, smiling at her reflection in the mirror.

She could only hope this prom would be better than last year's.

* * *

Not even two minutes after parking her car in the parking lot outside of Flower Paradise, Dawn was knocked backwards as a dazzling brunette in an ankle-length sea green dress tackled her.

"Ahhh! Dawn, you look absolutely _beautiful!_"

"Thanks…Leona…!" Dawn was relieved as the brunette released her from her spine breaking hug.

Able to breathe again, Dawn surveyed Leona's dress which was a silky blue-green color with an emerald green empire waistband and a sweetheart neckline. Her russet brown hair was smoothed and straightened so it didn't stick it out like usual, and fell just above her shoulders, a blue-green bow clipped neatly in her hair.

"Oh wow, Leona, you look gorgeous!" Dawn declared, giving her long-time friend another hug. "I am one-hundred percent serious too! Man, I just love what you did with your hair. It looks so silky." As Dawn said, she ran a hand through the brunette's hair, something which made Leona giggle.

"Thank you," she said, blushing. "Cress said the same thing."

"Your BF is so cute," Dawn teased. "You're so lucky to have him. He's like one of the nicest guys I know. Him and his brothers, of course. So what color is his tuxedo? Is it blue, like I said?"

Leona sighed and folded her arms across her chest. "Yes. Don't worry, you'll get your ten bucks when we come back to school."

"Yeah, if you remember after sixteen days of nothing but eating, sleeping, and watching TV." Dawn rolled her eyes playfully. "You better remember, or I'll have to charge you extra dollar for each day forget the money."

"Whatever," Leona said, linking her arm with Dawn's. "It's time to part-_taaay_!"

_~.~.~.~_

Dawn glanced around her in silent awe, blue eyes wide in amazement as she took in the beautiful scenery of gardens upon gardens of flowers of every color and flowers of every kind. The moonlight shone down on the, every pretty petal outlined in a milky cloak, giving them a magical, fairytale kind of feeling.

Dawn felt like she was five again, and she was a beautiful princess in a mystical garden who was about to ruin into her Prince Charming. The beautiful moon-filled gardens just radiated beauty, promise, and romance, and they appeared to whisper to each other secrets that only they knew. Gardens of Hope. It truly was like gardens upon gardens of hope, the perfect name for the perfect prom for the perfect night. Dawn could feel it around, the magic in the air. Something would happen. Something great. Something _magical._

Dawn could only hope she wasn't imagining that feeling of hope and magic.

"C'mon, lets go inside!" Leona said, pulling Dawn out of her fantasy and tugging her into reality and the nightclub Flower Paradise had which was already packed with dancing juniors and seniors and flashing lights.

"_Dance, Dance!  
__We're falling apart to halftime!  
Dance, Dance!  
__And these are the lives you'd love to lead  
__Dance, this is the way they'd love  
__If they knew how misery loved me!"_

When Dawn was inside the club, all she could was dark, dancing bodies and colorful flashing lights that danced on the bodies and the pale green walls. Upbeat pop music screamed from the speakers, making Dawn's ear ring slightly at first before fading into the background as she got use to it. Seniors and Juniors danced and screamed, and she found herself growing annoyed as they kept getting in her path. Dawn had never seen so many people in one place at a dance. It was as if the whole Junior and Senior class attended prom and partying in that small club.

"…_And here's the situation  
Been to every nation  
Nobody's ever made me feel the way that you do  
You know my motivation  
Given my reputation  
Please excuse me I don't mean to be rude  
But tonight I'm loving you  
Ohh you know  
That tonight I'm loving you  
Ohh you know…" _

"Oh, I love this song!" Leona exclaimed, already moving her body to the music, her eyes closed.

Dawn glanced around, seeing nothing but an endless see of moving bodies, tuxedoes and flashy prom dresses. The bodies surrounded her, suffocating her. If she fell, would anybody even see her? Would she be trampled under dancing feet, pointy heels digging into her chest, as the world around her was oblivious to her on the ground? The thought frightened Dawn.

"I'm going to go outside for some fresh air," Dawn called to Leona.

"Okay," Leona called back.

Suddenly Dawn felt a pair of eyes on her, and she turned around to see a cute bronze-haired guy checking her out. Dawn felt uneasy by his staring, but smiled nonetheless if only to be polite. The bronze-haired guy took this as an invitation to come closer, an arrogant smirk sliding over his face.

"Hey, what's your name? You must be new to Twinleaf," he said.

"Um, kind of. I've been here since the beginning of the year," she offered. "And the name is Dawn… Dawn Berlitz-June."

"Oh really? I don't believe I've seen you around," he responded, disinterestedly. Royal blue eyes lit up again as he said, "So, Dawn, huh? That's a pretty name. Wanna dance?"

Dawn saw this coming, and had been asked numerous times when she was still considered the 'diamond' at her old high school, but that still didn't make the situation less uncomfortable. "Um, no thanks." _Maybe if you asked two years ago, I would have said yes, _Dawn thought. _But not today, or any day after today._

"Why not?" he asked, a bit snappishly. "Boyfriend?"

Dawn felt a blush burn on her cheeks as an image of Paul popped up in her head. "No. I just don't wanna dance, okay?" Annoyed, Dawn pushed through the crowd of prom-goers before the bronze-haired jerk could respond.

"Geez," Dawn muttered under her breath as she pushed through the rest of the crowd.

Dawn sighed as she finally reached fresh air. She walked over to a balcony where she sat, frowning unhappily. She wished her other friends were here. She loved Leona and everything, but here at Twinleaf High School's prom, Leona was basically Dawn's only real friend.

Any guy interested in Dawn only liked her for her short skirts and short shorts and tank tops and not much else, and every other girl hated her for either entering twelfth grade as a goth/punk and/or for turning into a materialistic beauty overnight. Of course, there were a few girls that were nice to her no matter what, but Dawn they never be nothing more than classroom friends. They would never hang out after school, and they would never call each other BFFs.

Dawn suddenly longed to be back in Veilstone, at one of Platinum High School's several dances, where all her other best friends would be. She longed to be at Homecoming again, teasing Marina and Jimmy about how "inseparable" they were. She yearned to hear May's jealous complaints about Drew and what a womanizer he was. She wanted to be back at the Winter Formal, flicking goldfish and nuts in Leaf's dress, and getting kicked out of the dessert room with Misty for fooling around with the water pokémon that had been used for props for that homecoming's underwater theme. She felt nostalgic as she remembered how Zoey would always use the lamest excuse to save her from unwanted dances with guys and how they would later pig out on brownies and nachos and other sweets.

Dawn sighed. What a bummer it was that their last dance together had to go so badly.

"Freaking shut up, Geraldine!"

Dawn looked up as a shrill, familiar voice rang through the clearing.

"Why, are you afraid of the truth?"

"Get away from me!"

"You are such a drama queen!"

"You are such a wannabe!"

"_You're_ the wannabe! All you have ever wanted to be since we were little was prom queen! Well, guess what? You're not going to be prom queen!"

"What is wrong with you? I thought you were my friend!"

"We were never friends! Why would I wanna be friends with a stuck up slut like you?"

"Shut up! You can be freaking prom queen! I don't need a stupid plastic crown anyway!"

A crowd was gathering in front of the club where music continued to boom and vibrate the walls and ground.

"What's going on?" Dawn asked Lyra, a girl she knew from one of her electives.

"Ami and Geraldine are having an argument," Lyra responded. "Apparently Geraldine is jealous of Ami because everybody thinks she's going to be prom queen and she wants to be prom queen."

Briefly Dawn remembered her own drama from Prom night and felt a wave of sympathy for Ami. She stood on her toes, trying to see over the crowd of people gathered in front of her, but could see nothing.

"Sounds dramatic," she murmured.

Suddenly she spotted a girl with curled pink hair and a bright, sparkly purple ball gown pushing her way through the crowd, obviously Ami and obviously infuriated. Nobody followed after her. Whispers broke out through the crowd as it dispersed and Dawn saw Geraldine in her silver and white ball gown with her pretty golden blond locks glaring with onyx-black eyes in the direction Ami disappeared.

"Wow…glad I'm not Ami!" Lyra laughed, turning to Dawn, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. "Geez, I never realized Geraldine was so jealous of Ami." Lyra sighed. "Well, I suppose Prom's not complete without at least one dramatic fight."

Dawn flashed back to hers and Paul's fight at the prom and frowned unhappily. She supposed hers and Paul's dramatic break up completed prom night for many people. It must have made several girls' names to know that Heartthrob Paul had broken up with Perfect Dawn.

"I'm going to go check on Ami," Dawn murmured, feeling only like a ghost as she made her ways to the Flower Paradise restrooms where she had seen Ami run.

It was all coming back to Dawn. The screams and cruel taunts, forever haunting and scarring her, a night of dreams and hope turned to nightmares and shattered belief. The remembrance of running home barefoot in the midst of the night like a ghost that had faded to nothing replayed over and over again in her mind. The bitterness and anger left in her heart to grow over time into a cold resentment for that night along with a fear of being rejected again. She remembered her rage as she threw diamonds and pearls and other gemstones, and the chaos she left in her room, and the very second those scissors blades touched her blue tresses. For a moment Dawn had to stop, to catch her breath and recollect herself.

Finally, she reached the Flower Paradise restrooms.

Quietly, Dawn entered and was surprised to see Ami in front of the mirrors, dabbing desperately at her wet cheeks while trying to fix her makeup.

"Ami?"

Ami looked up, startled, and accidentally knocked over her eyeshadow and mascara which clattered noisily on the floor. Anger quickly washed over Ami's face and ungracefully she picked up her make up on the floor and threw it in the sink, flinching at the noise it made as she did so, and glared at Dawn.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded.

Dawn blinked, shocked. She quickly got over her shock though. After all, this was Ami. Ami hated her, so of course she wouldn't want her to see her crying.

"I wanted to see if you were alright, after you know, everything that happened between you and Geraldine," Dawn explained, frowning as she did so. "Are you…alright?"

"Of course I'm alright!" she spat, her nostril flaring. "Why wouldn't I be? I'm perfect! _Perfect!_"

Dawn's eyes widened, shocked by the venom in the girl's words. That shock soon changed into anger though. "I was just trying to be nice, you don't have to be so rude!" she retorted.

Suddenly, Ami's red eyes watered again and she busted into tears which ran black when it mixed with her eyeliner and mascara. Dawn backed away, suddenly feeling uncomfortable as she watched cry.

"Go away, will you? I'm fine! I am! J-just go! _Go!_ You couldn't possible understand this, you couldn't…"

For a moment Dawn considered the possibility of leaving, but in the end she decided against it. "What is it I couldn't possibly understand?"

"Being betrayed!" Ami screamed. "She was my best friend! I told her everything, and then goes and _stabs my back!_ Have you ever been betrayed like that, huh? She called me a _slut_ and a _whore_ in front of that whole crowd!"

"U-um, actually, I… I've, um, been called that too in front of everybody," Dawn admitted sheepishly. Ami looked up, curiosity clear in her emerald green eyes. "It was at prom too. Last year. Like, some rumors were going around and something happened, and the whole crowd just went crazy on me… yeah, it was bad." Dawn frowned, feeling awkward admitting this to the girl who hated her.

Suddenly Ami's eyes narrowed. "Are you making fun of me?"

"No, I'm not, unfortunately," Dawn responded, sighing sadly. "Hey, if it makes you feel better, everybody I know is voting for you for Prom Queen."

"Really? Cuz everybody I know is either voting for you or Geraldine," Ami commented bitterly. "Lets face it, half the school population hates me cuz I'm such a bitch."

Dawn opened her mouth, as if to protest, but Ami changed the subject before she could.

"So, shouldn't you be with Paul right now?" she asked, casually dabbing at her eyes again with the bathroom's paper towels. "You're his prom date, right?"

"Um, no, I'm not his prom date," she responded.

"Why not?" she demanded, turning to fix a glare on her.

"B-because we're just friends," Dawn stammered, sweat dropping.

"Just friends? That's bullshit," Ami snorted. Suddenly she laughed, as if amused by something. She turned back to the mirror, swiping mascara on her eyelashes. "That's kindergarten talk. We're graduating in like two months, and then we'll all be going separate ways. Are you really just going to allow yourselves to be just friends? You two have dated before, right? Surely you two can date again if you can be friends again."

"It's more complicated than that, Ami," Dawn insisted. "It's better we're just friends."

"So it's just better to watch as Paul get a new girlfriend and fall in love and forget all about you? Whatever it is that is complicated, it can't be so complicated that you two can't get through it or find a way around it."

"Ami, you don't understand, it's more than that, it's—"

"It's what?" Ami turned to her again. "It's nothing, that's what it is. You know you want to be with him. What's stopping you from being with him?"

Dawn thought about this.

Fear, rejection, school, rumors, college. Several factors kept her from being with him. Including Paul.

"It doesn't matter," Dawn murmured. "I'm going to go now, okay. Good luck." Before Ami could say anything else, she exited the restrooms.

As she walked back towards the club, balconies, and the several gardens, as if by fate, she spotted a splash of lavender on one of the balconies, the moonlight giving Paul an angelic appearance.

Dawn felt her heart begin to pound in her chest, and remembering her conversation with Ami, her face turned a light pink. She felt jumpy and anxious. She realized it was kind of weird to feel this way around Paul. It was like being in love with a stranger she knew almost nothing about, although the fact was that at one time they had dated and she knew everything about him.

They had agreed to be friends, but despite that, it was like they were now keeping a part of themselves secret, only allowing each other to see what they felt acceptable to show. It was weird, and thinking about it, Dawn realized she didn't like it.

_It shouldn't be this way, _she thought. _It's not right._

Dawn gazed at Paul a little longer, his back turned to her. She was attempting to gather up the courage to talk to him like she would have when they were friends in Veilstone.

Taking a deep breath, Dawn forced a coy smile on her face as she approached Paul.

"Oh, look who is wearing a tuxedo!" Paul turned his head slightly, surprised to see her. "So who are you trying to impress? Do you have a new girlfriend or something?"

Paul frowned at her, his eyebrows knitted together, and for some reason Dawn felt annoyance come over her.

"I won't get jealous if you say you do, you know," she told him, rolling her eyes. She knew that was a lie, even though it didn't have to seem like one. She could have self-restraint when she wanted to.

"Actually no, I don't," Paul said after a moment, shoving his hands deep in his pockets. Finally, he turned his body to face her. A blush rose in Dawn's cheeks as she felt Paul's eyes scan over her. Her face only felt hotter as she saw the smirk on his face.

"What?" she asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

"That dress is way too big for you," he responded after a moment. Dawn's cheeks darkened at this comment. "What? No it's not!" Paul's smirk only grew wider.

"Yeah it is. You are way too petite and small, and that gown is like a monster on you; you're like only half it's size," he told her.

"No, it's not. And I'm not that short! Or petite!" Nonetheless, Dawn couldn't help but frown as she wondered if she really did look awkward in the big gown she was wearing. She have had many people compliment her throughout the dance, but maybe they just did that so she wouldn't be embarrassed…?

Paul chuckled as he saw the worry reflected in her eyes as she pondered over his words. "Relax, I was kidding. You look just fine."

"Oh." Dawn did relax some, although she could still feel a prickle of self-consciousness. "Um, thanks, I guess… Um, you don't look so bad yourself… I guess…"

Paul raised an eyebrow at this compliment, and Dawn looked away, feeling angry suddenly at how awkward she was being. She felt the need to apologize for being awkward, but she had a feeling that would make things even more awkward, so instead she busied herself by gazing at the gardens once more. Soon Paul was gazing around with her, and they both stood leaning against the balconies with the moonlight coating them with a glow that made them resemble a beautiful god and goddess.

Beautiful… mystical… mythical… Like a scene out of a fairytale. _Gardens of Hope._ A night of bliss, stars that told the future, and endless possibilities of romance.

"This place is amazing…" Dawn whispered, the words falling out of her mouth before she even had chance to think them.

"It is," Paul agreed.

Suddenly a streak of white shot through the starry sky.

"A shooting star!" Dawn exclaimed.

A wave of déjà vu washed over Dawn. She was suddenly reminded of the first time her and Paul had attended a dance together (well, not together, but they were at the same dance at the same time for the very first time) and she had spotted a shooting star. Thinking back to that moment, Dawn wondered what she had wished for that particular night. She wondered if that wish came true.

_Probably not, _she thought. _Wishes don't come true._

"Hey, are you two dating?"

"Huh?"

Dawn and Paul both looked up to see a boy with shoulder-length blonde hair and a piercing ice-blue eyes holding up a digital camera. Dawn immediately recognized him as Trip, one of the photographers for the yearbook.

"We're just friends," Dawn responded. As she spoke those words, Dawn realized just how much she resented them. _Just friends._ Those two words taunted her because they knew she wanted to be so much more than just friends with Paul. Dawn felt her throat tighten.

"Yeah," Paul agreed.

"Oh. Well, can I get a picture of you two, anyways?" Trip questioned. Paul just shrugged, and Dawn nodded. "Okay, just do what you were doing before. Look out at the gardens, all thoughtful."

A few snapshots later and he was gone.

The two stayed there a little longer, silently enjoying each other's company as they remembered all those nights they spent together by Lake Valor, gazing up at the constellations, and all those times they danced together as music that was silent to them boomed in the background.

Dawn wasn't sure how long they stood like that since the moments seemed to both drag on and go by in a fast. With Paul, Dawn felt as if time was distorted, their moments lasting forever yet not lasting long enough.

Suddenly the vibration of music and the distant voice of someone singing came to a halt and was replaced by another distant voice, this time the voice of the DJ.

"Are they announcing Prom Queen and King already?" Dawn exclaimed, shocked. Prom was halfway over already?

Paul shrugged. "I guess so." Dawn was shocked when Paul took her hand. "C'mon, lets go. We should be there since we're nominees."

"Okay." Dawn followed Paul as they entered the club.

"_**Alright, so the nominees for prom king includes Paul Shinji, Cilan Treble, and Buck Burns," **_the DJ announced. **_"And the nominees for prom queen are Amethyst Amulet, Dawn Berlitz, and Geraldine Kelly._**

"_**Now the prom king and queen are…" **_Slowly, gently, the DJ started to tear open the envelope that held the names of Twinleaf's prom king and queen.

Unconsciously, Dawn felt her hand squeezed Paul's as she anxiously waited for the result. Paul gave her hand a little squeeze back, as if to reassure her.

"_**And the prom king and queen are—"**_

A silence filled the room.

"—_**Amethyst Amulet and Buck Burns!"**_

Loud cheers filled the room as the no-longer-crying pinkette and the fiery-haired young trainer made their way to the stage to accept their crowns and to make their speech as prom queen and king.

At first, Dawn felt disappointment. Neither her or Paul had been made prom queen or king like last time. Then she felt envy. Nobody had cheered for her when she had been made prom queen! Dawn didn't even have time to ponder over why she had even _been_ made prom queen if nobody even cheered for her, before she transitioned into a feeling of acceptance and even glee for Ami.

Hey, just because her dream night for prom didn't go as she hoped, didn't mean somebody else's couldn't.

Dawn couldn't help but roll her eyes and smile as she watched Ami accept her plastic tiara, all puffy-eyed and teary. Dawn watched as Ami and Buck both gave their speeches and thanks as the Prom Queen and King of the 2011 Twinleaf Prom. She clapped as the two exited the stage, hand in hand, ready to take their dance as Prom Queen and King. She watched them as Buck placed his hands on Ami's hips and she swung her thin arms around his neck, smiling and laughing at something he said as he wiped a tear from her eyes. She didn't even realize she was still watching them as her mind traveled back to the past and she entered daydream mode, dreaming of a prom at Veilstone where everything had gone as it should have.

"Dawn…"

A slow song came on overhead and instinctively Dawn's eyes closed, and for a moment she forgot where she was and what year it was. A smile graced her lips as a warm, fluffy feeling filled her. Suddenly she was Dawn Berlitz again – not DeeDee June or even Dawn Berlitz-June, she was Dawn Berlitz: prom queen, head cheerleader, and the diamond of Platinum High School.

"Hey, Dawn… Dawn!"

Briefly she wondered if that's how her and Paul would have danced if everything had somehow worked out in the end, like it had for Ami. If she had somehow opened her eyes and saw how she was practically abandoning her friends for Paul; if she had somehow seen how her secretiveness spawned from her fear of Paul leaving her had driven a rift between them; if she had just known the disasters prom had in store for her, if she could have somehow just changed that night, prom could have been perfect. She could have mingled with her friends, danced with Paul, been crowned prom queen. It could have perfect… perfect…

_Perfect._

It was so far from perfect, but it could been so close to perfect…

If only it had been perfect.

Or maybe it was perfect. Maybe she was just dreaming. Maybe this had all been one long, horrible dream, and she would wake up, still an eleventh grader and resident of Veilstone with the perfect prom only hours away.

Maybe she could still have her perfect prom.

Dawn smiled.

The perfect prom. The perfect friends, the perfect date, the perfect night.

The perfect life.

Perfect.

Just like a diamond.

Just like Dawn Berlitz.

"Dawn!"

Dawn blinked, and slowly she turned to look at the face of her plum-haired, onyx eyed…ex-boyfriend. Tragically she was pulled back to the present. She was Dawn "DeeDee" Berlitz-June again, resident of Twinleaf, high school student of Twinleaf High School, and ex-girlfriend to Paul Shinji, the only man she had ever really loved.

Dawn opened her mouth, as if to say something, but then closed it again as she realized nothing good would come out of it as a wave of emotion swept over her. Tears filled her eyes and before Paul or anybody had a chance to see them, she tore her hand free from Paul's and ran for the door.

_Oh Arceus, what was she _doing_?_

Dawn honestly didn't know. All she knew was that she was crying when she desperately didn't want to cry; honestly, she didn't even understand why she was crying, she just was. She just ran and ran, in a town where she was miles from home, and disappeared into the swaying colors of flowers.

She didn't want this.

She didn't want to cry, she didn't want to runaway again on prom; she just wanted everything to be like it use to. She wanted to be back at Veilstone; she wanted to hang out daily with her friends like she had years after years; she wanted _Paul_ back.

She didn't want to grow up.

_.x._

_**S**trength that runs deep down to their core  
__They are not weak and fragile like before  
__**T**oughness that will keep them alive  
__A spirit that allows them to strive  
__**E**verybody was looking to bring them down  
__But in the end, they still hold the crown, and  
__**E**veryone will soon realize  
__That what's meant to be won't forever be severed by lies, cuz  
__**L**ove will make them stronger than steel  
__Just as long as they believe what they feel is real_

* * *

**Hmmm, so much for this being shorter chapter. And sorry for the long wait. I've been busy (I DO have a social life, for those who were wondering), and I kept getting writer's block and I just couldn't come up with a satisfying way to end this chapter. Until I thought of cutting the Twinleaf prom in half and leaving this on a cliffie. :D **

**So, next chapter includes:**

***Second half of Twinleaf's Prom (theme: Gardens of Hope)  
*****Veilstone's Prom (theme: Secrets of the Night)  
*****Marina's Speech  
*****Graduation  
*****And Dawn's Graduation Speech (it will be EPIC! [possibly an epic fail? XD]).**

**So now for the questions:**

**1) What do you will happen at the rest of the prom in Twinleaf, if anything?  
****2) What do you think will happen at the prom in Veilstone, if anything? Hint: Think of the Prom's theme. :]  
3) Symbolism? I added one at the beginning. It was quite obvious, if I may say so myself. The symbolism may help you predict the ending of this story if you get ALL of it. :D**

**Also Chapter 20 is the last chapter! WHOO! :] So the chapter will either be called Platinum 2.0 or Diamonds and Pearls, depending on what I decide fits better. :p Also just wanted to say, THERE WILL BE NO SEQUEL FOR THIS STORY AT ALL, NO MATTER WHAT THE ENDING IS! :] Haha, sorry, I just feel this story is better without one since it doesn't need one, and I'm too lazy to think out a new plot for a college fic anyway.**

**Also HanaIchi Ikari made an awesome fanart for the first part of this story. Check it out! You can find the link to it on my profile (hopefully the link works).**

**Thanks so much for the reviews! Now press that review button again? :D And if you have the time, vote on my new poll! **

**P.S. I am aware of when I take a long time to update. Nonetheless, I'll work on this story and it's chapters, and any of other story I'm working on and it's chapters, when I have time and when I feel like I'll actually write something productive, not something I'll just end up deleting. It may take me months to write chapter 20, or maybe just a week, but whatever time it takes, I'll write and finish it when I do. Honestly, telling me to update because it's been three months doesn't make me hurry. Sorry. And just sayin'. ;)**


	20. Diamonds and Pearls

**_Diamond and Pearl _**

**Summary: **AU. Part 2: Platinum. She is the diamond that broke; he is the pearl that longs to be someone else. They were platinum, but they couldn't take the heat. Both were hurt and betrayed, but perhaps a second chance in Twinleaf can set things right. Ikarishipping!

**_PART TWO_**—**_Platinum_**

**Chapter Twenty**

_10 Months Earlier…_

"He is an ass for doing that to you."

Dawn flinched as she heard these words coming from her old best friend's mouth.

It's all so true, her mind whispered.

"He is just an insecure little kid who needs to grow up and take anger management classes," Leona continued, a fire in her voice.

"That's a bit harsh…" Dawn said, her voice quiet and feeble sounding. "I mean, we all get mad, right?" She asked, smiling, and forcing her voice to sound light.

Leona just looked at her, an eyebrow raised. The blunette sighed and looked away, feeling a sad heaviness fill her chest. Leona thought she was stupid for defending him, she knew. She even felt stupid for defending him. She had every right to call him an ass or any name under the sun after what he did to her and here she was trying to make excuses for his actions.

Paul's face filled her mind: his tan, angular face; his shoulder-length, plum-colored locks; his onyx-colored eyes that could freeze an ice cube in 110 degrees weather.

He's a jerk, she thought, feeling her eyes begin to moisten. I shouldn't be defending him! As she thought this a cold, burning wave of resentment and regret washed over her.

He was probably playing me the whole time. He has had millions of girlfriends who were lucky if they dated him for even a week. What made me think I was so special? What made me think I could be the one he would want to be with forever? He was probably just using that whole cheating scam as an excuse to dump me. I bet he was planning on dumping me the whole time! I am so stupid, so freaking stupid!

Dawn blinked back the tears forming in her eyes and closed her eyes, her head pounding.

"You're right, Leona; he is an ass," she said the next day when she saw Leona again. Her voice had lost all its lightness and good-humor; it was now distant and empty, as if she wasn't entirely there.

**/x/x/x/**

Johanna and Palmer were on their honeymoon, so Dawn and Barry had the entire house to themselves for two weeks. Most of the time though Barry was busy going to friends' and rivals' houses, either to battle them or fine them, sometimes both. Whatever the case, that meant Dawn was by herself most of the time and had way too much time to think.

She would have asked Leona, her only friend in Twinleaf, to come over or she would have gone to her house, but Leona was going away for a month to go camping with her parents at one of those RV campsites about four hours away.

So again, that left Dawn with way too much time to herself.

Dawn's eyes were glued to her cellphone screen, staring at a picture of her and Paul.

In the picture Paul had an arm wrapped around her shoulders, and he had pulled her closely next to him so her chest was slightly squished against his side. His eyes were fixed ahead, at the cellphone and whoever was taking the picture at the time, while hers were glancing upwards at him, her eyes bright and dilated. While he donned only a slight smile, only noticeable if you looked very, very closely, she was grinning broadly. His face was a cool and composed mask; hers was an open book, beaming and showing off her obvious happiness to the world.

Dawn remembered the picture was taken about two weeks after her and Paul officially started dating. She had realized she had no picture of her and Paul together and had wanted one. They were on one of their dates at the Veilstone park when her other friends had shown up. Still wanting a picture of her and Paul together, she handed Zoey her cellphone and asked her to take a picture of them together.

It was the only picture they had taken together.

I wonder what he's doing right now. Is he thinking of me? No, probably not. Or maybe he is… Maybe he feels terrible for what he did and is thinking of some way to make it up to me! Maybe he's about to call me to apologize for being a total asshole to me at prom.

Honestly, she knew everything she was thinking was a bunch of bullshit that was never going to happen, but still, she found it was nice to dream. Dreaming and imagining were her ways of escaping the harsh reality that the only guy she truly loved did not love her at all. It was her way of masking her heartbreak, her way of dulling the pain and sadness she felt as a result.

Maybe… maybe he'll move to Twinleaf. I won't even know he moved here and when school starts again we'll run into each other and be surprised to see each other again. Then he'll remember all those good times we had together and he'll try to win my heart again.

But I would just reject him, again and again, she dreamed in a sudden rage of bitterness. And he would regret breaking up with me. He would regret every mean word he said to me and he would hate himself for letting me go. And I would move on, to some new, _better_ guy that would make me happier than he ever did, and all he would feel is bitterness and self-hatred.

Just like I am, she thought.

Dawn sighed, tears starting to form in her eyes again. Her head pounding, she threw her cellphone down on the couch and abruptly stood up. Stumbling slightly she crossed the room to turn on one of the ceiling fans.

She felt so sticky and hot, even with the air-conditioner turned on. She felt her forehead, expecting it to be burning hot, but to her surprise it was cool. Groaning, she slumped back on the couch and rolled into a ball, her head hurting and tears streaming down her cheeks.

She hated him so much for making her feel this way.

The next day Barry was gone again. This time it was to fine a friend of his for bailing on him right before they were going to have a six-on-six battle. This guy bailed on him since "he had to babysit his three-year old sister, obviously a bunch of bull", as Barry put it.

Dawn paced the house, her mind racing, and her head still pounding. Even with the house at 60 degrees she felt as if her entire body was on fire.

Life was so much simpler before she met Paul. She was perfectly happy with the way her life had been before she met him. She had five best friends who she always had the most fun with, whether it was having a pillow fight at one of their slumber parties or doing a High School Musical and breaking into song and dance while waiting in line for lunch. Now she couldn't even pick up her phone when they called because she feared that if she didn't make them think she was still mad at them they would find a new reason to be mad at her.

Several times she considered changing her voicemail, but then she would firmly tell herself no. No, whoever called her was going to hear her message, whether it was friend, foe, or total stranger. They would hear the fire in her voice and get the image of a strong, young woman who didn't need them to be happy. She would not change that in a moment of loneliness or unhappiness.

Sighing, she glanced at the clock.

Thirteen minutes after three…

Groaning, she flopped down on the couch, burying her head in the soft velvet cushions.

Why is this day dragging? Shouldn't it be seven or eight by now?

Lately, the days have been dragging. Maybe it was just that the days were getting longer and longer as days rolled by and spring transitioned into summer. Dawn had a feeling it wasn't that though. Summer had never felt this long before, and time had never gone by this slow….

**/x/x/x/**

"Dawn, you better start eating more than a can of soup a day," Johanna told her daughter one day. "Don't think I haven't noticed that you're not eating as much as you should be."

"Agh, I'm not hungry though," she sighed.

"Dawn, I am serious."

"Fine. I'll go eat an apple right now then."

"Good."

Later that apple could be found sitting on Dawn's desk with only a single bite in it.

**/x/x/x/**

The days were going by so slow…

Tick… tock… tick… tock… tick…

There was nothing to do. She had no summer plans, she had no friends to go hang out with and nothing to look forward to. She only wished school would start so her days were spent a bit more productive.

Tick… tock… tick… tick…

And so _he_ wouldn't be on her mind nearly as much.

Tick… tock…

Dawn sighed and rolled over on her side, her earphones blaring a heavy metal song as she laid on her bed.

Even with the distraction of the loud metal song, her mind continued to be filled with images of her life before prom and the certain plum-haired man who might as well have ended it….

**/x/x/x/**

About a day before she had her senior pictures done for Twinleaf High School she noticed just how pale her face was. It was paper white, as if it had never seen the sun. Her eyes were still the same shade of blue which just made her face look even more washed out.

I need color on my face, she thought, her mind drifting to something other than her heartbreak and betrayal as she searched through her drawer of makeup for something that would make her face look less… pasty.

Minutes later she exited the bathroom wearing a thick coat of eyeliner and mascara. Usually she didn't wear her eyeliner that thick, but she wanted to try something new.

Later, when her and her mom went shopping for school clothes, she decided to try out a new style to go with her new look: black shirts, dark skinny jeans, baggy jackets, etc.

Later, when she would look in a mirror at herself, she would see a girl she didn't recognize: a girl who was nothing like the girl she was last year. This girl had been through heartbreak; this girl had experienced betrayal. This girl was thinner with thicker eyeliner, darker clothes, shorter hair, and paler skin.

This new Dawn was nothing like the old one. But somehow, Dawn liked this new Dawn better. She was dark and nothing like anybody at Veilstone could have imagined. She was a living rebellion against the old Dawn.

Everybody had always expected her to be the fun, optimistic blunette she was every day at school; everybody had expected her to be strong and take every hit she got, but at the same time everybody had expected her to be weak and girly, to not stand up for herself.

Well, everybody had expected too much from her….

But no one would expect too much from this Dawn. No one would pay attention to this Dawn that was thinner and paler with shorter hair, thicker eyeliner, and darker clothes...

And that was why she liked this new Dawn.

Because no one would expect her to be perfect.

Because no one would expect her to be a diamond….

**/x/x/x/**

Dawn sighed, staring unhappily at the girl staring right back at her. The girl with black-rimmed blue eyes and short blue locks stared right back at her, equally unhappy.

Damn it.

She hated him. She really did.

Her head throbbed as she turned away from the mirror. Her stomach twisted, and it felt as if she would throw up. Her head clouded with the memory of a boy with plum-colored hair and eyes as black as coal but as cold as the arctic.

So why couldn't she stop thinking about him?

She was so stupid, so very stupid, for still thinking of him.

Her head started to pound and her stomach twisted some more. She felt like crying, but like every other day, she held back her tears, telling her mind to just shut up.

Just shut up. Stop thinking about him, she urged herself. He's not worth it.

But like so much else, it was easier said than done, especially when she was telling herself to forget the only man who had made her feel so special while being the same man who had shattered her world.

I hate him, she thought again.

But she knew it was a lie.

She just didn't acknowledge that fact.

Soon enough she would forget about him anyway. School was going to start soon and then she would be too busy to remember him and to busy to remember the reason why she was always so sad and angry all the time.

Or so she thought.

That was before she bumped into him at school and was given a second chance.

* * *

_(The present…)_

Dawn sighed as she rested against the steady support of a honey tree. Through teary eyes she could make out the image of a round glowing white moon, looking like a pearl in the distance. She hugged her knees as she recalled the last few minutes.

_Why am I crying? _She wondered. _I have no reason to be crying! Ami was just made prom queen and her and Buck were dancing and I was with Paul… and Paul…_ Suddenly more tears spilled from her eyes and she couldn't understand why.

Ami and Buck were dancing… You were thinking about something… what were you thinking of? Paul… oh Paul… I was thinking about all those times at the dances when we danced… More tears spilled from her cyan blue eyes and she felt stupid and foolish for crying over something in the past. She knew it wasn't just the past she was crying over though.

Why did I have to start crying? Why did I run? I am such an idiot, Dawn thought, glaring at the blue and pink and white flowers beneath her through tear-filled eyes. Why can't I just get over it? I can't change the past, no matter how much I want to. No matter how desperately I want to change it…

Ami and Buck dancing, her and Paul dancing, oh, how she wished her and Paul could have danced like that on Prom Night when they were crowned Prom Queen and King.

They never would though. Dawn knew that.

Sniffing, Dawn rubbed her eyes and scowled as dirt from the palm of her hand got in her eye. She stiffened as she heard a rustle behind her.

_Crunch crunch crunch._

Shakily, Dawn turned her head a few degrees, toward the place where the rustling was coming from. In the dim moonlight she could see the outline of a man with shaggy, shoulder-length hair and broad shoulders. Even in the faint light she immediately recognized the figure as Paul. Unconsciously she pressed herself closer to the trunk of the honey tree.

_Please, please don't see me, _she prayed. _Please. Don't…_

Unfortunately for Dawn, someone out there hated her.

"Dawn! What are you doing?" he demanded as he spotted her against the honey tree, an annoyed scowl plastered on his face.

She couldn't face him. Dawn felt her heart thump wildly against her chest as he neared and more tears blurred her vision. She felt anger rise inside her at her weakness. She hated herself. She was so stupid, so weak. She was weak and surely Paul thought so too. Paul hated weakness; that's why he was always so cold when he was hurt, so he wouldn't show his weakness. She, however, wasn't nearly as strong as him. She could never be as strong as him.

Fueled by her sudden anger at herself and Paul, she felt herself stand and get ready to run, holding her dress up so she wouldn't trip.

"Damn it—" Paul cursed as he realized she was getting ready to run again. "Dawn!"

Dawn took off.

"Dawn!"

What was she so angry at? Why was she so angry, so sad?

"Dawn!"

Leave me alone! She screamed in her mind. Just let me go!

Let me go…

Dawn closed her eyes. A sense of déjà vu washed over her as she recalled running with all her life away from the taunting crowd of prom-goers.

Let me go…

Like you did last prom.

"Dawn!"

Let. Me. Go.

Like you will when you leave for _Leggendario_.

"Dawn!"

She was going to be left behind. She was going to be forgotten. Nothing but a fading memory, a character in a story he would someday tell his grandchildren about dating a girl who was once called a diamond but was really nothing but a cheap imitation of one. A ghost of the past, that's what she was going to become.

"Dawn!"

Just set me free… Set my heart free from your hands' greedy clutches.

"DAWN!"

Dawn screamed as strong hands pulled her back.

_Let me go!_

"Let me go!" she screamed.

He did not get that she was actually referring to something else.

"Not until you explain what you're so upset about," he snapped back, forcing her to look at him. She squeezed her eyes shut, unable to bear the feeling of his coal-black eyes intensely burning into hers. Staring into his eyes was like staring into the flames of an angry fire.

"You wouldn't understand," she hissed back.

Dawn could feel Paul's burning gaze on her, and even with her eyes closed she could see those intense coal-colored eyes, trying to read into her mind and pry into her private thoughts. Already she could feel herself trembling as she started to succumb to her weakness.

"Stop acting like a brat and just tell me what's wrong," he told her harshly.

Dawn sighed, an exhausted growl escaping her throat. When she opened her eyes she felt a hot tear escape and roll down her cheek. Fortunately, that was the only tear to escape. She pursed her lips together. She was NOT about to tell him what was wrong or her fears and anxiety about the future. Again, she closed her eyes.

"Dawn," Paul's voice, surprisingly soft and gentle, made her eyes snap open again. "You can tell me what's wrong." She almost caved, but then she fiercely reminded herself to not give in.

"No," she insisted stubbornly. Breathing unevenly through her mouth, she added softly, "It's nothing. It's stupid. Really…"

Paul was silent for a moment as he studied her face. Dawn squirmed uncomfortably, his hands still gripping her wrists. She didn't like him staring at her so intently. It bugged her; it was as if he was reading her mind. It made her feel vulnerable, her weaknesses out in the open.

Damn him…

And then, as if to confirm her thoughts, he said:

"It's about us, isn't it?"

Dawn scowled, hating herself for being so…readable.

But it wasn't exactly just them she was worried about, it was her friends too; basically, it was just her future she was worried about. Although thinking about it, Dawn supposed at the moment it was mainly her relationship with Paul she was worried about.

"Y-you're going to a university in Unova," she whispered, starting to tremble all over.

Paul released his grip on her wrist, startled somewhat by the emotion present in her voice; unconsciously Dawn took a step back and wrapped her arms around herself. Goosebumps covered all her arms and no matter how much she wanted to stop trembling, she couldn't, she just couldn't. She hiccupped and an angry sob escaped her throat.

"And you're going to _EnspireMe_ which is in Hearthome," Paul reminded her.

"And I'm the only person I know who is going to that college!" Dawn snapped back. "Misty and Leaf are going to a college in Kanto, Marina is attending a university in Johto, and May is going to college in Hoenn! Zoey is the only one going to a college in Sinnoh, but she's going with Kenny to a college in Snowpoint! Even Leona is going to a college that isn't anywhere near Hearthome!"

"Which is why this is a great chance for you to make new friends," he responded calmly back.

"Yeah, I bet that's what you want, isn't it?" she snarled, hot tears appearing in her eyes. "I bet _you_ will make lots of new friends in Unova. You'll make lots of new friends – not to mention lots of new girlfriends. I bet you'll meet a girl just like you there, someone strong and ambitious just like you, and you two will fall in love."

"Is this what all this is about? You're jealous, aren't you?" Paul scowled and Dawn's face soon matched his as anger swirled inside of her like a brewing storm. She wanted to scream at him. She wanted to make him _understand_. Dawn knew though screaming wouldn't make him understand.

Dawn's eyes narrowed to slits. "I'm not jealous."

It was true. She wasn't jealous. Nope, she was scared and angry and a little hurt. But not jealous. She had felt jealousy before, and she knew she wasn't jealous.

"Then why are you so upset about me going to Unova?" he demanded.

Dawn's head spun and she was pleased to realize she was no longer trembling. Shakily, she raised a hand and brushed her damp bangs from her hot and sweating forehead. She blinked back unshed tears and saw clearly Paul. She felt sadness well up inside her and she felt an ache in her heart at the sight of him.

"What are you so afraid of?" he asked, his voice calmer, gentler. He filled the space between them. Dawn followed his movement with her eyes before flicking her gaze towards the ground, finding herself once more unable to meet his eyes.

Paul cupped her chin with his hand and tilted her head upward, forcing her eyes to meet his. "What are you afraid of?" he asked again, more firmly.

Without thinking, Dawn responded, "I'm scared of saying goodbye…"

Paul remained silent, taking this information in. Dawn watched him as he did, wondering suddenly what he was thinking. She attempted to probe his mind with her eyes, but found that his face was not nearly as readable as hers apparently was. Even his eyes held no clue to what his thoughts were.

"Paul—?" she was about to ask, but was cut off as he did the unexpected.

Cold lips touched hers, immediately sending a wave of warmth through her whole body.

He's kissing me!Dawn's mind exclaimed.

The feeling of Paul's lips against hers lasted for probably only ten seconds, but it was enough to leave the fragile blunette utterly speechless. All throughout the kiss her eyes were wide open, and they remained that way even as Paul pulled away.

Paul stared at the blunette, amused by her reaction.

"You—you kissed me," she murmured when she finally found her voice. Her mind spun with questions and possible answers. Paul just nodded and gave a small grunt in response. Inhaling deeply through her mouth, she looked up and quizzical blue eyes met his. "Why?"

Paul took a minute to think of the answer to this simple question. "To show you I'm not trying to say goodbye."

Dawn bit her lip, trying to fight back a wave of hope, she asked, "Then what are you trying to say?"

"I'm trying to say," Paul paused, thinking over the words he was about to say. "I'm trying to say I don't want any more misconceptions getting between us."

Dawn frowned, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I mean I don't want to say goodbye either. I mean I don't want us to make the same mistakes," he responded.

"Mistakes—?"

"The mistakes we made when we were dating," Paul clarified. "I don't want any more secrets to get between us or rumors or anything."

Dawn's eyes widened as she realized just what Paul was indirectly saying. "Ohmygosh, you're asking me out again, aren't you?" she whispered.

Paul's eyes burned intently into hers. "Yeah. You can say that."

As Paul confirmed her realization, uncertainty suddenly settled over her along with guilt. "But what about_ Leggendario_ and Unova—?"

"We could make this work," Paul insisted. "We could do a long-distance relationship."

"But Unova… it's so far from Hearthome…" she murmured, her eyes flicking to the ground.

"Dawn," her eyes snapped up at the sound of Paul's voice. "You want this, don't you?" he asked, his black eyes blazing into hers. "I thought you wanted this."

Suddenly Dawn felt even angrier at herself. He was right. She had wanted this. She had been scared of losing him, he had realized that and had offered her the chance of still having him, and here she was, trying to deny him when he was giving her exactly what she wanted.

She felt so confused though. All these thoughts and feelings swirling inside her, jumping from one emotion to another, going from one thing to the next all so quickly. It was all going by too fast for her, she couldn't keep up.

Just slow down, Dawn told herself, closing her eyes. Just slow down. Dawn struggled to clear her mind, as she detangled one thought and feeling from the other and forced herself to clearly take in the situation.

How did she feel about this exactly?

When her mind was clear again she opened her eyes and saw Paul. She saw his angular face framed by choppy, plum-colored, shoulder-length hair. She saw his dark eyes, black with just a hint of silver in them, something she had never noticed about them up until that moment.

Dawn inhaled softly, Paul's scent of Earth and cologne wreathing around her. It was a familiar smell and a comforting smell, just like his face or just his presence in general. Pleasant memories filled her mind and she felt a familiar feeling of comfort and serenity wash over her, a feeling she had felt constantly around Paul when they were dating when she had just wanted to get away from the stress of school and home. It was a feeling she had felt around him even before they were dating, when they had just been friends.

True, Paul could be a bastard at time, but he was the only bastard, or guy for a matter of fact, who could even begin to understand her. It was as if he was the missing puzzle piece in her life. It was only when she met him that she started to truly live; every other day she had lived without knowing him was just a faded memory of a girl who no longer existed in the present.

Looking into Paul's eyes, like she had so many months before, when her and Paul would lie beside Lake Valor, still a couple, she knew the answer to Paul's question.

* * *

"…It is believed by many that Arceus was the great creator of Sinnoh and the whole universe. There are many others however who believe the universe was created from a big bang…"

Dawn watched Roark with thoughtful eyes as he explained a few of the theories on how the Earth was made, her eyes once in a while flickering to the students next to her. Currently they were finishing up the chapter on space and the many planets, the last chapter they would be learning about before reviewing and taking their AP Tests.

"Your current and last assignment for today will be to write a two-page report on these theories and either agree or disagree with them. If you don't agree with any of these theories, feel free to come up with your own theory on how the universe was made just as long you explain what your own theory is and why you think it's right. Just try not to get too religious with it, okay? This assignment will be worth 50 points. You can change seats and talk if you want to, just try not to get too loud."

Dawn glanced over her shoulder and watched as Paul stood up and took a seat in front of Barry who sat next to Ursula on the other side of the room. Pursing her lips, Dawn glanced briefly at Leona before taking out a sheet of paper and her usual lead pencil.

She sighed as she started to write her usual heading on the paper. Only Monday and already she had a butt-load of homework. It didn't help that she was still suffering from a prom-hangover. It didn't help that the hotel her and Leona had chosen to crash in had beds with lumpy mattresses.

Again, Dawn found herself glancing over her shoulders at Paul as she recalled prom.

"I like the theory about Arceus being the creator of the universe although it kind of doesn't make sense. I mean, even if Arceus did create the universe, who created Arceus? Did Arceus create itself or what?"

"Who knows," Dawn responded. "Maybe. That would be kind of weird though. Like hands appearing out of nowhere and then creating some legendary pokémon."

"Hmmm…" Leona tapped her pencil against her chin. "Maybe. Okay, so let's see, how I should start this bad boy? There are many theories concerning the universe and how it was made and blah blah blah, or It is a popular belief that the universe was created by the legendary pokémon, Arceus, blah blah blah."

"I like the second one," Dawn told her.

"Yeah, me too," Leona said, writing the sentence down before sighing and slumping forward in her seat. "Blagh. Homework on a Monday. Roark can be so cruel! And it's the Monday after prom too. Bleh. Wish we were back at prom again…"

Dawn only nodded, her lips pursed together again.

Leona straightened her stance before leaning back in her chair, her arms folded over her chest and studied Dawn's face with curious black eyes. "It's too bad you're still single…" Leona told her, softly. "Like, I was just thinking prom would have been the perfect chance for you to hookup."

"It's for the best," Dawn responded, unable to meet the brunette's eyes. She was completely aware of Ami and her chatterbox friends sitting next to her, discussing the latest gossip on some Junior girl who was rumored to be pregnant.

Her hands twisted in her lap and unconsciously she glanced over her shoulder again at Paul at the same time he also glanced up. Their eyes briefly connected and Dawn glanced away, pursing her lips together again.

Leona just hummed, whether in agreement or disagreement, Dawn wasn't sure, and continued to watch her with puzzled eyes.

"I mean, I will be going off to college," Dawn said quietly.

"Yeah, you can meet boys there," she agreed. "Although considering you're going to one of those fashion colleges, they may be a bit flamboyant…"

Dawn rolled her eyes, unable to stop a grin from sliding across her face. Leona grinned too, her dark eyes mischievous. "Shut up, Leona." The brunette stuck her tongue out and laughed.

"So do you know where Barry's going for college?" Leona questioned.

"He's going to a college in Hearthome," Dawn told her. "He applied for like five different colleges, including a university, and got accepted into all of them except the university – he got rejected from that one – and chose to go to the one in Hearthome since Ursula is going to the same college as me which is also in Hearthome."

"Really? You and Ursula are going to the same college?" Dawn nodded. "Yeah, she got accepted too. I just found that out yesterday."

"She's lucky," Leona smiled sadly at her. "She's going to be in the same college as you while I'll be in a college in Johto…"

"Yeah," Dawn agreed, also smiling sadly. "But hey, we can still keep in contact. Like we can video chat and instant message each other and stuff. That's what me and my other friends are planning to do."

"But first, I need to save up for a webcam," Leona said. "Which shouldn't be too hard, I guess, considering I'm making a decent amount of money at my new job."

"Let's just hope you don't get fired again," Dawn said, smirking. Leona stuck her tongue out again, a grin sliding across her face.

Just then a girl walked in, a girl with long violet hair and bright brown eyes that Dawn recognized as one of the school's journalists, with several stacks of papers in her arms that were separated by a simple paper clip. She handed one of the stacks to Roark who glanced briefly at them before clearing his throat.

"Attention! Hey!" The class quieted down to a few whispers and murmurs, just enough so Roark could speak. "Here's a stack of paper you can take if you want to vote for your class favorites. You can write down your vote for the couple that is most likely to last, the cutest couple that never was, boy and girl with prettiest eyes, class clown—" His eyes narrowed at Ricky, who was always pulling pranks on him and substitute teachers. "—best dressed, who has changed the most since Freshman year, etc." Roark placed the stack of papers down on his desk and there was a scurry of movement as everyone got up to grab a sheet.

Dawn got up to grab her own sheet of paper at the exact same time Paul did. She watched him through the corner of her eyes, biting her lower lip, as she waited in line behind him. He looked only straight ahead, his hands shoved in the pockets of his baggy gray pants, as if she didn't exist.

"Hey, Dawn."

The blunette glanced over her shoulder and turned her body to face Ami. "Hey," she said, giving a small wave. "Congratulations on winning Prom Queen."

Ami nodded, flipping her bright pink hair over her shoulders. "Yeah, thanks. Sorry you didn't win. I was actually surprised you didn't win. Honestly, I think the only reason I won prom queen was because people felt sorry for me after my brief _disagreement _with Geraldine."

Dawn glanced over Ami's shoulders at Geraldine.

"You two are still friends?"

"Of course," Ami responded. "Geraldine didn't really mean what she said. She was just stressed; her parents had just filed for divorce and her boyfriend just dumped her, so yeah, she was pretty upset and as a sort of outlet she just blew up at me. You know how frustrating things can get, right?"

"Um, yeah," Dawn murmured. She thought of Paul as Ami explained Geraldine's situation. "I do know what you mean."

She nodded, clicking her tongue against the roof of her mouth. "Sooo, where did you go after they announced prom queen and king? I didn't see you around." Her eyes flickered briefly to Paul. "I didn't see you around either after they announced the prom queen and king, Paul."

Paul turned towards her and raised an eyebrow.

"Did you two like, run off together or something?" Ami questioned, her eyes flickering back and forth suspiciously between her and Paul.

Dawn shook her head. "No. I just got sick afterwards, so I kind of ran off to you know, vomit, and then I drove to this hotel to stay at."

"Oh." Ami narrowed her eyes at Paul. "What about you?"

He shrugged. "I got bored, so I just left."

Ami nodded, seeming to believe their story. "Well, if you say so." Just then it was their turn to grab a sheet of paper. Ami grabbed hers and left, but Dawn and Paul lingered a little longer, pretending to be looking over the sheet of paper.

"Prettiest eyes?" Barry muttered to himself, scratching the back of his head with a pencil. "I'm gonna have to say Ursula! Nicest hair? Gonna have to say Ursula again. Nicest dressed? Ursula, of course. Cutest class couple? Me and Ursula, obviously."

"Geez, Barry," Dawn said, sweat dropping. "Are you going to vote for Ursula on everything?"

"Not _everything_," Barry snorted. "Well, hey, if it makes you feel better I'll vote for you on…cutest class couple that never was."

"Really? And who is the other person gonna be?" Dawn asked.

"What other person?" Barry asked, oblivious.

Dawn rolled her eyes. "It takes _two _people to make a couple, Barry!"

"Oh…right…well," he rubbed his chin thoughtfully, glancing around the classroom. "How about…uh…" his eyes stopped on Paul. "Paul! You and Paul would make a good couple, but you two aren't a couple, so yeah, that'll work!"

Dawn glanced at Paul through the corner of her eyes and saw he was looking at her too. She looked away, fighting back the blush crawling on her cheeks. She pretended to study the chipped pink nail polish that colored her fingernails.

"Hey, what's with you two anyway," Barry questioned, suddenly suspicious. "You two seem…awkward. At least, you two seem awkward around each other." He placed his hands on his hips. "Okay, what gives?"

Paul just smirked.

"Nothing," Dawn responded easily back. Who knew her step-brother could be so observant! "I don't know what you're talking about."

Just then Ursula came up from behind Barry. "You two _are_ acting kind of different around each other. You're like too quiet. You haven't said anything to each other all day, and it just feels like you two are ignoring each other. Usually you two are acting annoyed with each other or arguing or _something_."

"You know, it's not necessary for us to talk or argue every day," Dawn pointed out.

"The world isn't going to end if we don't," Paul agreed.

"I guess," Barry mumbled. "It's just weird." Shaking his head, he turned back to his sheet of paper. "Most Likely to Survive in the Wild? Ursy, obviously. Most Likely to Break Hearts? Well, now that's she's dating me, she's going to have to break hearts, so Ursula. And the male for that one, me!"

Ursula rolled her eyes as she followed her boyfriend back to her seat.

Soon the only people not seated were Dawn and Paul. Dawn felt a tingle, a rush of exhilaration as she glanced over at him.

"So, who are you voting for?" he casually asked.

"Um, I'm not sure yet," she responded. She figured she would probably vote for him on the Most Likely to Break Heart one just because she found him to be the most candid anyways considering his reputation at Veilstone. "How about you?"

"I have kind of an idea," he responded, his eyes intense as they burned into hers.

Dawn smiled, a giddy feeling rising up inside of her. Quickly, she glanced around the classroom and saw that everyone was either busy filling out the sheet for Class Favorites or working on their one-page essay that was due the next day. As her eyes raked over Leona, the brunette glanced up, smiling as she saw her and Paul talking.

"See you later," Dawn said, so softly she wasn't even sure he heard her, as she turned away.

* * *

Dawn looked up the next day in Geology, a small smile crawling on her lips as her eyes connected briefly with Paul's. As if he called to her, she got up, her fingers subtlety touching his as she passed his table. After throwing away a few scraps of paper she recently found, she brushed past him again, the tips of her fingers once more brushing his.

* * *

"So do you have any plans for this weekend?" A cute brunette with bright green eyes asked the gruff plum-haired man sitting at the next table, batting her eyelashes flirtatiously.

Yes, Dawn thought.

"Just training," he responded uninterestedly back.

Still the girl persisted, "Well, maybe you should come with me and my friends to go see a movie," she offered, smiling down at him. Dawn glanced over at her shoulder to see the girl. While Paul sat down, she leaned against his table, her feet kicked out in front of her.

She's really cute, Dawn thought. She has really cute clothes too, she added in her mind as she took in the brunette's clothes, a tight black tank top underneath a light pink floral tube top and denim cutoffs.

"And then after we see the movie, we could just hang out in the mall," she continued. "By the way, we'll be going to the mall in Veilstone."

Dawn had to smile at the girl's persistence.

Ah, foolishness.

"Thanks for the offer," he started slowly, his face blank of any emotion. "But no. Like I said, I'm training. I do this every weekend."

The girl's eyebrow twitched this time at this information. "You can't make an exception for this weekend?"

"No, I can't," he responded stonily back.

Finally, the girl sighed, and walked away, starting up a conversation with another boy in their class.

Dawn got up again, and picked up tiny scraps from the table, as if working in a clean, scrap free environment was actually important to her. As she walked over to the trash can, her fingers brushed Paul's again, as they had yesterday.

Dawn looked over her shoulder to see the brunette deep in conversation with the boy now, both of them smiling and laughing as they talked. Dawn smiled.

Didn't she know Paul's only exception was her?

Our little secret,Dawn thought, brushing pass Paul again.

* * *

Dawn stared at the clock, watching the hands slowly inch closer to the time the bell rang for fifth period to end. She thought of last year and all the drama she had endured. She thought of all the girls who had liked Paul from the very beginning, most, if not all, liking him for his looks and his reputation as a strong trainer.

All those rumors, all those stories about us. Briefly Dawn wondered why people made such things up; she also wondered how people even came up with those stories and rumors. Was it just speculation? Was it jealousy? Or was it just stupidity or something else?

Dawn tore her eyes away from the clock for a second to glance over her shoulder at Paul who was currently absorbed in reading a book. She smiled at the sight of him, those familiar butterfrees tickling her stomach. She turned back to the clock, watching its hands slowly move closer to the one…

She ran her fingers through her hair, and bit her lower lip. She leaned back in her chair, and recalled her prom at Veilstone High School and then recalled her prom at Floaroma.

Dawn was amazed by how much different she felt now. A week ago she had felt like a mess, as if everything in her life was screwed up. But now, she didn't feel that way. She felt stronger, braver. She felt more like her usual optimistic, confident self, no longer scared of the future.

It's funny how things can change in an instant, Dawn thought, once more thinking of her disastrous prom night at Veilstone. One moment I was on top of the world, the next I had fallen off it.

But as Dawn now knew, every problem had a solution. Some problems were easy to solve while others were harder and more difficult to solve. Dawn was just now working her way through her more difficult ones.

As the clock's big hand and little hand pointed respectively at the twelve and one, the bell rang.

Students shuffled out of the class as Roark dismissed the class. Dawn, Leona, and Paul were the last ones out, waiting for the crowded doorway to clear up before exiting.

"See you, Dawn," Leona said, waving as she headed off for her next class.

Dawn gave a small wave back, smiling. She rounded the corner behind Roark's classroom, and like she had done every day for the past week, she glanced behind her but saw no one around. She felt her heart speed up as she saw Paul, leaning against the wall like he always he had also been doing for the past week after Geology.

Her eyes flicked up shyly as she approached him, a small smile gracing her lips. He smirked down at her, and she slipped one hand into his, holding it up while his other hand played a lock of her hair. Dawn closed her eyes, cherishing the moment.

I wonder, she thought, what the people at Veilstone would think if they could see us now.

* * *

_(Day of Veilstone Prom)_

"You look beautiful!" Johanna exclaimed as her daughter descended the stairway. She quickly came up to her daughter and kissed both cheeks affectionately. The flash of the camera was blinding as Palmer took picture after picture of the beautiful blunette.

"You know, when I was a senior in high school," Palmer began, starting another roll of film. "I only got to go to _one_ senior prom."

Johanna rolled her eyes, and smiled some more at her daughter. She was just glad was going out again and had made it through her grieving stage over hers and Paul's break up, something which had her deeply worried a few months earlier. Johanna turned her smile to Dawn's five friends, all dressed up with their hair and nails done in the hallway.

"And of course you girls look just as beautiful," she gushed. "Palmer, get some pictures of the girls too. C'mon, Dawn, go and join them! We need a group shot of this!"

Dawn rolled her eyes but complied with her mother's wishes.

Many rounds of films later, the limo arrived.

"Oh goody!" May cheered. "The limo's here!"

"Have fun girls!" Johanna called after them, and watched as the girls, all in big Cinderella-like gowns, squeezed through the doorway, holding the end of their dresses up so they wouldn't dirty them.

**/x/x/x/**

Fog rolled across the street, making it hard for Dawn to see the night sky. She thought this was rather funny considering the theme of the prom was called "Secrets of the Night" and had to do with the night sky and the stars. She glanced around, taking in the sight of her best friends.

May, in her strapless cherry red ball gown, her makeup all natural and a red bow in her hair; Misty, in a ball gown that resembled the yellow gown Beauty wore in Beauty in the beast, her long ginger-colored hair falling over her shoulders in waves; Leaf, looking like a star in her shimmering lime green ball gown, her brown hair in a bun on top of her head with strands framing her face; Zoey looked surprisingly girlish in her pale orange one-shouldered gown.

And then Marina, of course, already looked as if she could be prom queen in her large white gown with sleeves that fell of the shoulders and matching white gloves, her nails done in a French manicure and her hair curled and now falling over her shoulders for the occasion. Maybe it was just the shimmering white eyeshadow she was wearing, but for whatever reason, she looked even more radiant than usual.

Dawn turned back to the window she was staring out, a knot of fear and anxiety growing inside of her as the fog began to fade and she could make out the glow of the city lights in the distant.

_Breathe, _she instructed herself, goosebumps forming on her arms. _Just breathe and you'll be okay._ She shivered, her chest tightening as she saw a sign that informed her they had now entered Veilstone. _It's going to be alright, you're going to be okay._

How could she be so scared of a place she had spent half her life in? It made absolutely no since to be afraid of a place because of one lousy night that happened almost a year ago. It was just stupid, so stupid.

Nonetheless, Dawn still sunk in her seat as they approached the high school. She could make out many familiar faces, each of them beaming or laughing, looking as if they were already having the time of their lives as they enjoyed the last high school dance.

_I shouldn't be here, _Dawn thought. She was eternally grateful the limo's windows were tinted.

In the distant she made out the outline of another limo on the other side of the parking lot. _I wonder if that's the guys' limo? _she briefly wondered.

"Are you ready, Dawn?"

The blunette looked up to see all her friends watching her, waiting for her response. She smiled, trying to not let her doubt and fears show.

"As ready as I'll ever be!" she declared.

Which she supposed was true.

"Okay, then let's go."

Zoey stepped out of the limo. May and Misty stepped out after her, followed by Leaf. Marina stayed a few extra seconds to give her a supportive squeeze on the arm and a smile.

"You'll be fine," she promised. "We'll make sure of it."

She smiled. "Thanks, Marina."

Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door just as Marina did. A cool breeze greeted her as she stepped out, the world becoming so clear and detailed in front of her. For a moment, it felt as if time had stopped, if only to give her a chance to take in the scene.

When time unfroze, she watched as head after head of her ex-classmates began to turn towards her. _Maybe they forgot me, _she thought hopefully. No such luck. Their eyes lighting up in surprise as their mouths formed an equally shocked 'O'.

It was like a domino effect almost. Words would turn to silence just a few feet away from them, and then that silence would spread farther and farther away until everybody in the parking lot was suddenly staring at her with a look of surprise on their face.

She felt her friends begin to surround her, as if to protect her, as they formed a circle around her while still giving her enough space to breathe.

No. Of course they wouldn't forget her. She was their freshman and sophomore president, their junior head cheerleader and their top coordinator. She had been their precious "diamond" for nearly three years. She had left, but she had not been forgotten.

As she took a step forward, so did her friends.

"_Welcome to the planet  
Welcome to existence"_

As the six girls walked by, Dawn end in the center, the night grew quiet aside from the occasional person murmuring something to the person next to them.

The night felt unreal, as if it was just a dream, or as if she was just playing the lead part of a heroine in a movie. She could feel the stares of everybody on her as she walked by. She felt her chest pinch, but she forced herself to continue to exhale and inhale evenly, in and out, in and out, the world still amazingly detailed around her.

"_Everyone's here  
Everyone's here"_

"That's Dawn Berlitz…" Dawn heard a girl whisper as she walked by.

"She's back…"

"I thought she moved…"

"What is she doing back here?"

"I thought her and her friends got into a big fight and were no longer talking! What the heck…"

"I'm surprised she came back here, after what happened last prom…"

"Wait, who is she? What happened last prom?"

"You don't know her since you just moved here a month ago, but she was like…the _queen_ of this school until last prom."

"Wait, you mean... she's…?"

"Man, she is gutsy, coming back here…"

"Ohmygosh…she's back…"

"Why is she back?"

"Dawn Berlitz…"

So many familiar faces, and yet in the crowd she could see faces she had never seen before, of new students that had moved to Veilstone after she left. Their faces portrayed their confusion and curiosity, having heard of the famous blunette but having never seen her up until now.

"She's really pretty…"

It was like the whole Senior class of Veilstone High was there.

It was as if the whole Senior class was watching her as she made her way to the auditorium with her tight group of friends.

"_Everybody's watching you now  
Everybody waits for you now"_

Dawn glanced over her shoulder as they walked. Over her shoulder she saw the other white limo, and she watched as six figures climbed out. She smiled as she saw the silhouette of Paul, outlined in the dark by the moonlight.

When she looked forward again she saw everybody was still watching her. Briefly she wondered what people saw or thought when they saw her. Did she look the same to them? Or different?

Her eyes met with a brunette who was in her English class last year. The brunette looked away, shocked and flustered.

Did they see the same diamond they had labeled her as the first day of school? The pretty, perfect popular girl who had everything? Or did they see something different, like a newer, stronger version of that diamond, a combination of the diamond she was at Veilstone and the girl she was at Twinleaf who had struggled to fit in?

Dawn felt her hands unconsciously clench her dress. Shakily she breathed in, out. In, out. The music banged all around her let it sounded so far away to her. Dawn closed her eyes, her world turning black, before slowly opening them again to an overwhelming world of colors.

Breathe, Dawn ordered herself. In, out. In, out. I'm okay. I'm going to be okay.

Marina glanced over her shoulder, and this time a few people followed her gaze to see the girl's dates and Paul. They assumed Paul could not be Dawn's date considering what happened at the last prom.

More hushed whispers broke out at the sight of Paul.

"_What happens next?  
What happens next?"_

"Paul's here!"

"But Dawn's here too!"

"Does he know she's here?"

"Of course not. He can't possibly know. How can he?"

"Oh dear, what's going to happen next?"

Dawn ignored the whispers and looked only straight ahead, focused on the dancing gold lights of the auditorium where music was booming inside. More faces turned towards her at the sight of six girls in big gowns. At first they didn't see her, but then when they did, their eyes widened.

Dawn looked up to see the auditorium's roof was decorated with glowing neon stars of all sizes, their colors ranging from white to gold to pale blue. In the middle of the replicated night sky, hanging in the middle of the ceiling by some chain or something, was a glowing white ball that was supposed to resemble the full moon.

As the girls walked by, people parted, as if afraid to touch them, or more specifically, _her_. It was like they were afraid they would set off some chain reaction if they made any kind of contact with them. Misty linked arms with her suddenly and May followed her example. Dawn felt a smile bloom on her previously stoic face.

"_I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to lift  
Yourself up off the floor"_

"_I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
Like today never happened  
Today never happened before"_

Whenever Dawn closed her eyes, she saw a girl with all her faults and flaws, all her imperfections, out in the open for everyone to see, for everyone to judge. She saw a girl being torn to pieces as she entered a dark era in her life. She remembered the crowd taunting her, like a bunch of rabid pokémon.

I am strong. I am not alone. I will be fine. I am fine…

Dawn repeated this in her mind.

I am not the same girl from a year ago. I am stronger. Stronger. I am so much stronger now. I am.

"She better hope Paul doesn't see her…"

"He was so mad at her last time he saw her…"

"She broke his heart…"

"Guys…he broke her heart too."

"She cheated on him."

"No, she didn't. That was just a rumor."

Dawn ignored the murmurs that filled the room at her presence. She kept her eyes straight ahead and her chin high. She was not going to cry; she was not going to break again.

No, not again. She was stronger now, so much stronger.

This had been the place where she fell; now this was the place where she was going to pick herself up.

"_Welcome to the fallout  
Welcome to resistance"_

She wondered what she looked like to her old classmates.

The ghost of Last Year's Prom Queen, the ghost of someone beautiful but imperfect.

"She looks like how she did at last prom, before that thing with her and Paul went down…"

"She looks so strong…"

She wondered what she looked like to the new students at Veilstone High School who had only heard stories of her but had never actually seen or known her.

The fallen queen had returned, beautiful and strong, graceful and proud, no longer broken or weak.

"She's beautiful…"

"Is that really her?"

"She is really pretty…"

And then silence.

"It's Paul…"

"_The tension is here  
The tension is here"_

Dawn looked up. Sure enough there was Paul, in a white dress shirt and black pants, a bored expression on his face. Suddenly he turned towards her and their eyes locked. The loud chatter of voices died down to whispers as their ex-classmates noticed the confrontation.

"_We're through."_

"_You're breaking up with me?"_

"_Looks like not everybody thinks you're so perfect now."_

"_Paul—!"_

"_You're so pathetic."_

"_You know what Paul…"_ The broken diamond stood up.

"_You can give me diamonds," _she threw her diamond earrings to the floor.

"_You can give me pearls," _she ripped the pearl bracelet off her wrist.

"_But… if you can't even trust me,"_ her voice wavered. What would be her next words? _"Then its better we're over."_ And she pushed through the crowd and ran for the door, fleeing into the night.

As far as the senior class of Veilstone High School knew, that was the last place they left off.

The tension grew. Murmurs rippled through the crowd, soon spreading to half the students in the cafeteria of the two's fateful reunion.

What would happen next?

All eyes were on them, waiting for screaming or crying or some drama of any kind to break out between the two. However, the two just stared at each other, as if they were the only people in the room.

"_Between who you are  
And who you could be  
Between how it is  
And how it should be yeah"_

Suddenly Paul took a step forward.

Nearly everybody in the room was holding their breath. What would happen next?

Dawn smiled as she closed the distance between them, shocking everybody who could see the two as she intertwined their fingers and he slipped an arm around her waist as he pulled her closer.

What…the…_hell_ did they miss?

"_I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
I dare you to lift  
Yourself up off the floor"_

"What's happening?"

"What is everybody looking at?"

"What's going on? What are they doing?"

"_I dare you to move  
I dare you to move  
Like today never happened  
Today never happened before"_

Last year's prom was the past.

Right now she was living in the present, and she wanted to cherish every moment of it.

Dawn's eyes slipped close as she laid her head against Paul's chest, ignoring the murmurs in the background and even the music that played in the background, listening only to the sound of Paul's heart against her ear.

This is our dance, she decided. The dance we never got as Prom Queen and King. Dawn smiled at the thought, warmth spreading through her whole body.

"_Maybe redemption has stories to tell  
Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell  
Where can you run to escape yourself?  
Where you gonna go? Where you gonna go?_  
_Salvation is here"_

_Pop!_

Somebody was taking pictures.

_Pop! Pop!_

"She is so brave, coming back after what happened at prom last year."

"Yeah. I know I sure wouldn't have had the guts to come back if something that horrible happened to me at prom last year!"

_Pop!_

I moved on from last year, Dawn thought. I got over it. I forgot and forgave.

_Pop!_

All the names they called her…

_"Whore!"_

_"Slut!"_

_"Bitch!"_

_"You aren't a diamond, you fake!"_

_Pop!_

It didn't matter now. She forgave them.

Just like she forgave Paul…

_"You're pathetic…" he repeated again, this time softly. "And you still can't come up with any excuses for why you're a cheating whore?" he asked, a sneer in his voice. "But then again, there really are no excuses for being one."_

They hadn't know any better.

She felt Paul's grip tighten around her waist as they danced and she smiled, no longer haunted by the flaws or doubts in their relationship. All that mattered was that he was with her now.

"_I dare you to move_  
_I dare you to move  
I dare you to lift  
Yourself up off the floor"_

Everything she had been worried about only minutes earlier, it all suddenly didn't matter anymore. She no longer cared what the people of Veilstone thought of her. They could think she was a slut all they wanted; they could even still think she was the perfect diamond as before. Good thoughts or bad thoughts, she no longer cared about what they thought of her.

As Dawn pulled away from Paul, she briefly closed her eyes, and she watched as image after image played in her mind at an incredible speed of her last prom at Veilstone.

The secrets.

The break up.

The drama.

Her meltdown.

In her mind she saw it all so clearly, a girl with all her faults and flaws, all her imperfections, out in the open for everyone to see, for everyone to judge. She saw a girl being torn to pieces as she entered a dark era in her life. She remembered the crowd taunting her, like a bunch of rabid pokémon.

When she opened her eyes again, she was staring into Paul's onyx black eyes. She was keenly aware of all her friends watching her, smiles painting their features. The faces of May, Misty, Leaf, Marina, and Zoey popped into her mind. She looked around, at the faces of all her friends plus Ash, Gary, Drew, and then Kenny. She smiled as she saw Jimmy appear beside Marina as he snaked an arm around her waist.

"_I dare you to move  
I dare you to move_  
_Like today never happened  
Today never happened  
Today never happened  
Today never happened before"_

Dawn knew almost everyone who had witnessed the terrible drama from the year before were shocked. Heck, they were probably all pinching themselves at the very moment, wondering how the hell two people who had left off on such bad terms last year were now dancing together this year, as if they were still a couple.  
They _were _a couple.

* * *

_(Two months earlier – Twinleaf High School Prom)_

"Dawn," her eyes snapped up at the sound of Paul's voice. "You want this, don't you?" he asked. "I thought you wanted this."

"I do want this… but," Paul eyes darkened as she said the last word. "We already tried this once, and we both know what happened. It didn't work out."

"That was last year though," he said, his voice uncharacteristically soft.

Dawn closed her eyes, fighting back the tears. "But that doesn't change anything. That doesn't mean…"

Paul's eyes flashed, and he turned away, his hands now formed into fists at his side. "It doesn't mean what? Just say it. You know you want to." He growled, and Dawn was taken aback by the venom in his voice.

"Say what?"

What did he think she was going to say?

"You know what," he growled, and he turned towards her again. She was startled by the anger he saw in his dark onyx eyes. "It doesn't mean the same thing won't happen again. That I won't be an ass and hurt you again like I did!"

"That—that wasn't what I was going to say!" she cried, stunned by his outburst. "Paul!"

"But it's what you're thinking, huh?" he asked, a sneer present in his voice. Suddenly, he turned away again, a look of disgust painting his features. "I was an ass to you, and you won't ever forget it. And you shouldn't. I was stupid and a fool to follow you here." He spoke those last words mostly to himself as he turned to walk away, anguish now filling his eyes.

Dawn watched him, tears gathering in her eyes. Her heart felt torn in two—conflicted—between what she wanted and what she feared. What did she fear anyway? It wasn't heartbreak, Dawn was certain.

What she feared was the future.

"Paul…" she choked out his name, tears falling freely down her cheeks as she closed her eyes. And suddenly, her strength gone, she felt more sobs rack her chest as tears slipped down her cheeks.

She had never had her heartbroken before Paul. Sure, she had had plenty of boyfriends and plenty of break ups to go with them, but never before had she felt so strongly for somebody until she met Paul.

Sure, he was real jerk sometimes and he caused her anguish and heartache but he was still the only guy who made filled her heart with much elation and gave her butterfrees in her stomach. He was still the only guy to fill her with warmth and the only guy she thought of day and night. The only guy she wanted a happy ending with…

"Don't…go…Paul," she gasped, and suddenly she was running after him. Her vision blurred by tears, she could barely make out Paul's blurred figure as he slowly turned around.

"Oof!"

"I'm not scared of you, Paul!" she sobbed, holding onto him, her arms wrapped desperately around his torso and her face buried in his chest. "I'm not scared you'll hurt me. I trust you, I do. I-I just don't trust myself, or our classmates. I'm scared of the future, not you…"

Paul's arms remained stiff at his side, and for a moment Dawn feared her declaration had meant nothing to him.

"Please forgive yourself, Paul… everybody makes mistakes."

And finally, his arms shifted. Slowly, he lifted them before placing the palm of his hands on her shoulders. For an awful moment she thought he was going to push her away; he did push her away.

But she had nothing to fear…

His hands remained on her shoulders, even after he pushed her away from his chest. Timidly, Dawn glanced up, not sure what she would see when she looked into his eyes.

His eyes were cool and controlled. Any emotion that had previously been present in his eyes—anger, anguish—were now gone.

He had always been the stronger one, the less emotional one. Dawn smiled at this thought, but it felt strained.

"Dawn, don't…"

Too late.

She reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand. His eyes widened and she felt his body tense upon her touch. She smiled again and this time it didn't feel so strain. Slowly, she stood on her toes and reached up with her face, her lips brushing his in the sweetest of kisses.

"We can make this work…" she whispered, a smile on her face as moisture filled her eyes. She reached out and took his hand, squeezing it gently. "I know we can."

Paul exhaled shakily, his eyes briefly closing. He squeezed her hand back, bringing it to his cheek.

"We can…" he whispered, agreeing.

* * *

Around them the music flowed around them, soft and slow and to Dawn, it was just so magical and dream-like. It was as if she had died and was in Heaven, dancing with Paul in his arms.

It felt so good… knowing he was there with her and that they were together again. Sure, they have technically been back together for about two months now, but now… being out in the open with Paul, letting everyone see them for what they were – a couple – it was if they had never ended. It was as if they had just been separated for some time and now they were back together and had ended.

Dawn's chest squeezed and she couldn't help it, she grinned as she pulled herself closer to Paul, laying her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and breathed in, and she remembered the first time she danced with him.

_"If I gave you diamonds and pearls, would you be a happy boy or girl…"_

Paul wrapped his arms tighter around her waist. She could feel his heart pounding against her, steady and reassuring. Something pulled inside of Dawn.

_"If I could I would give you the world, but all I can do is offer you my love…"_

She squeezed her eyes shut, but the memories continued to flow around her, the memories flooding her senses. She breathed in slowly, a single tear escaping her eyes.

This moment was so perfect.

Perfect…

But being perfect had never worked out for her.

"It's okay…" Paul murmured. Dawn's eyes snapped open, and she jumped slightly, shocked.

"It's like nothing changed," she whispered, smiling, despite the tears that were now flowing freely down her face.

It suddenly occurred to her that while it felt that way now it wouldn't always feel that way. In less than a month her and Paul would graduate and then they would only have the summer before everything changed and they went to college.

And Paul went to Unova.

A thousand miles away.

Dawn pushed this thought away. It doesn't matter, she thought. He loves me. He hasn't said it, but I know he does. I can feel it. And the distance and time won't change a thing. Long-distance relationships can work out.

"That's because it hasn't," he responded. She nodded, using the back of her hand to wipe her away.

"You're right. It hasn't," she agreed, pulling away from his arms to smile up at him.

"Hey, you're Dawn Berlitz, right?" A boy, muscular with tawny brown hair, exclaimed. "I've heard about you! You were famous for getting dissed at prom!"

Immediately Dawn tensed. From the corner of her eyes, she saw Paul tense too. His fists clenched at his sides.

"I heard your boyfriend—well, now ex-boyfriend—told you off and put you in your place for cheating on him! Like, you were sleeping around with other guys, and he found out about it, so he put you in your place!" The boy laughed and another guy with blonde hair—his friend, Dawn guessed—laughed with him and high fived him.

"That's why you don't sleep around, dude. I mean, you don't want to end up like her, and have to switch school! That's just pathetic!"

Tears began to fill Dawn's eyes and she began to shake, bad memories from that night rising up inside her. She didn't even know those guys!

"The only thing pathetic around here is you two," Paul growled, glaring at the two boys.

"Who are you calling pathetic?" The blonde-haired guy growled, rolling up his sleeves. Paul stepped forward, his dark eyes cold and hostile.

"Paul, don't…!" she whispered, half-pleading.

"Paul? Ey, you're not Paul Shinji, are you? You were her boyfriend who told her off! I heard you two were back together, but I don't believe it! Dude, high five for telling off the slut!" The tawny-haired boy grinned, oblivious to the death glare Paul was now giving her.

Suddenly Paul stepped forward, and if she hadn't stepped out in front of him, Dawn swore he would have punched him. "Don't, he's not worth it!" she told him, touching his arm. His eyes softened as she looked into them, teary-eyed and pleading.

"Hey, what's your problem, man?" the blonde-haired guy growled, glaring at Paul. "You looking for trouble?"

Paul tore his eyes from hers and glared back at him. He straightened to his full height, and tearing his arm away from Dawn, he took a step towards the boy. Unconsciously, he backed away from Paul who was about a full foot taller than him.

"Dawn is not a slut. So if you dare call her a slut one more time, or any of your other nasty names, and I will have my pokémon take care of you," he growled menacingly, his hands creeping towards his waistline where he was currently keeping his poké balls.

Immediately, the boy nodded, realizing that he was no match for Paul _or_ his pokémon. After all, it was well known he was one of the strongest trainers in the Sinnoh Region.

Paul turned his glare to the tawny-haired boy next. "The same goes for you," he said coldly. The boy swallowed uneasily and nodded, a frown painting his lips.

"G-got it," he stuttered. The two backed away slowly before finally turning away and hurrying off.

"I don't get it," the tawny-haired boy whispered. "He called her all those names and worst last year… why can't we?"

The boy shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe he suddenly decides he loves her. _Whatever_."

"That was unnecessary," Dawn told him, frowning. "You could get his kicked out for making threats and trying to start a fight."

Paul shrugged, a frustrated frown now painted across his face. "They deserved it," he muttered.

Dawn could sense that Paul was having some internal conflict with himself, and she drew nearer and placed a hand on his arm. Slowly, he turned towards her and she smiled.

"Well, thank you. You know, for defending me…" she told him sincerely. "It really means a lot to me…"

He smirked slightly, and then said, his voice soft as the music died down. "I think they're about to announced prom queen…"

**_"Attention! The results for Prom Queen and King are in!"_** The DJ, a dude with blond dreadlocks, announced.

Immediately everybody quieted. For a moment Dawn felt her skin prickle as a sense of déjà vu washed over. Nobody had been paying attention last year when were about to announce the results for Prom Queen and King. Everyone had instead been paying attention to her and Paul and the fight they were having.

I was Prom Queen last year… Dawn suddenly remembered, shocked.

For a moment a wave of sadness and regret washed over her, making her chest tight and her eyes wet.

As if sensing her distress, Paul glanced over at her and wrapped an arm her, pulling her close to him as he squeezed her should supportively.

**_"You guys have voted, and this year's Prom Queen and King will be…"_**

Dawn waited, wondering who it would be. May? Misty? Leaf? Zoey? Marina?

**_"Marina Crystal and Ash Ketchum!"_**

Dawn clapped automatically, smiling. Well, of course Ash would be voted Prom King. He was one of the nicest and friendliest people around, plus he was now the top trainer at school with Paul gone. And it didn't surprise her Marina was Prom Queen. She was well-liked, popular, smart and one of the prettiest girls Dawn knew.

Thinking about it, Dawn realized that in a way Marina reminded her of everything everyone had once called her: a diamond.

But Marina wasn't perfect. Dawn knew that. Nobody was perfect, after all.

She watched as Marina and Ash made their way onto the stage and accepted their crowns.

Ash grinned. "Thanks everybody for voting me Prom King! You guys ROCK!"

Everyone cheered and clapped loudly as Ash waved and grinned even bigger before handing the microphone off to Marina.

"Show off…" Paul grumbled, scowling. Dawn rolled her eyes and jabbed him gently in the ribs.

"Be nice," she scolded.

Marina smiled and waited patiently for everyone to quiet down. Finally, everyone stopped cheering and clapping and the room grew exceptionally quiet asides from a few whispers here and there as they waited for Marina to speak.

"First off, I want to dedicate this to my best friends – May, Misty, Leaf, Zoey, and of course, Dawn Berlitz."

The whispers stopped and the auditorium grew even quieter at the mention of her name. Dawn felt herself blush, and feeling self-conscious, she began to pick at her dress.

"All of you, or maybe just some of you, may remember Dawn. She was the head cheerleader at the school. She was one of the top coordinators and she had tons of amazing appeals. She was also an honor student and had one of the highest GPA in this school. Her mom also used to own all the _Dawn_ stores in this town before she sold them. Now the key word is _was_. Her mom got remarried, and so she ended up moving to live with her mom and step-dad in Twinleaf."

Dawn could feel eyes on her now, but she wouldn't dare meet anyone's eyes, so she just kept her eyes on the ground.

"Before she moved though Dawn was crowned last year's Prom Queen, but due to some_ unfortunate_ _circumstances_, Dawn never really got a chance to receive her crown and truly be Prom Queen. And just so you all know, especially all the idiots out there who believe every damn thing that comes out of someone's lips whether it's true or false, Dawn is one of the most beautiful, amazing, inspiring person I know! She's not perfect and she has flaws, but nobody in this room is perfect. Dawn, you are strong, and you have inspired me so much in this last year, so with that being said, thank you."

Suddenly someone intertwined their arm with hers, and when she looked up her eyes connected with fire red ones. Zoey smiled at her, and when she glanced over her shoulder, she saw Misty, May, and Leaf, all of them smiling as they linked arms with one another. When she looked up at Marina, their eyes connected, and Marina was also smiling.

"Thank you for being so strong and coming here tonight, even after all the crap that happened last year. Never let anyone tell you who you are, and stay strong!"

At that moment, she _was_ glad she came.

"Oh, and by the way, girls, you stop can drooling over Paul already. He's taken. With Dawn. Yeah, it's not that surprising really. Anyway, um, sorry for my language, and now that I've said that… Um, thank you to everyone who voted me for their prom queen! Thank you and goodnight!"

* * *

"Is everybody ready?" Misty yelled.

"Yeah!"s, "Heck yeah!"s, and "Let's go!" were the cheers she got as a response.

Dawn fanned herself with one hand as she watched all her friends clamber into the two cars that were filled to the brim with clothes, chairs, umbrellas, beach towels, and everything else they would need for a week-long trip to the beach.

She smiled as she climbed into the seat next to Paul. Ash was already in the driver seat, while Misty rode shotgun and Zoey and Kenny sat behind her and Paul. Meanwhile everyone else (namely May, Drew, Marina, Jimmy, Leaf and Gary), rode in the Expedition, the only other mode of transportation they had available.

As Misty cranked up the car's radio so a Jay Sean song—Down—was blaring in all of their ears.

_"Baby are you down, down, down?"_

Dawn smiled at the familiarity of the song, and briefly recalled her first dance with Paul who she glanced at through the corner of her eyes. The song reminded her of Paul, and because of that, she would always love that song, even when she was tired of it.

I can't believe school has been out for a week already, she thought as she turned her attention to the window and the landscape outside. No, what I really can't believe is that it's been a week since I've been a _high-school graduate_.

It felt like just yesterday she had just met Paul, or as if just yesterday she been just entered high school as a freshman.

I didn't even know Paul existed when I was a freshman, she thought, pursing her lips. Damn, that's weird.

It felt as if she had known Paul her own life. It felt _wrong_ knowing that at one time she hadn't even known he had existed. She knew she had known him for a little less than sixteen months, but it didn't feel that way. Thinking back on her life before she met Paul, she just couldn't help but think she _had_ known him, she just hadn't _met_ him.

Dawn bit her lip as she remembered all the guys she had dated from eighth grade up until she met Paul. She had liked them all to a certain degree, and she had been determined to give them a shot, her reasoning being that _maybe they would finally be the one. _But there had always been something wrong, something missing.

Until she met Paul.

He had been different. He had made her_ feel_ different. She had actually _liked_ him. _A lot._ Not at first since he had been a jerk to her, but then, as she actually got to know him, she started to fall for him.

He had changed her, but in a good way. He had made her stronger, and she only hoped that in some way, whether small or big, she had made him stronger too.

Unconsciously, she reached over and grabbed Paul's hand.

He'll be leaving soon… she thought as she turned to face him. He'll be at _Leggendario_ in Opelucid City, and I'll be at _EnspireMe_ in Hearthome. All in all, we'll be about a thousand miles away from each other…

Nervously she began to chew her lip. But what did that mean for them? She still didn't know. Yeah, they were boyfriend/girlfriend now, but would that last when they didn't even know when they would be a thousand miles apart? When they didn't even know when they would be able to see each other again?

We're going to have to bring it up sometime… she thought, sweating slightly. We have to… But already she was dreading the conversation.

She was staring out the window and going through several different scenarios in her head on how to start the dreaded conversation and how it could lead when her eyelids started to feel heavy and she drifted off to sleep.

She was in some poorly lit store and she was running through the aisles, desperation coursing through her along with the fear that she was already too late.

It was one of those fuzzy dreams where although you couldn't see much, you just knew what was happening, even if you didn't know the exact reason why it was happening.

Paul! I need to find, she kept thinking, the panicked thought playing again and again in her mind as her fear grew.

She needed to find him before he left. What if he left before she got the chance to see him one last time, and she never saw him again?

She needed to find him! She needed to kiss him one last time before he went. She needed to know what would happen next! She needed to know what would become of them!

So she ran through the dimly-lit room that was bathed in a sepia light that made everything around her look fuzzy and hard to see, feeling close to tears.

When Dawn blinked open her eyes, fragments of the fuzzy dream replaying in her head, she felt as if she had just missed out on some important opportunity.

Her heart pounding loudly in her chest, she forced herself to look where Paul was sitting and felt her heart jump in her chest.

He was gone!

No! It was only a dream! N-no, he can't be gone—

"Finally, you're awake," a voice grumbled as he climbed in beside her.

Dawn couldn't help it, she screamed.

"What the hell," Paul said, glaring at her. "Would you calm down, it's only me. I'm not some murderer here to kill you."

"S-sorry," she squeaked. "I… you, uh, scared me. Badly."

"Obviously," Paul snorted. "Here, I got you some coffee," he said, shoving the white Starbucks cup into her hand.

"Uh, thanks?" she said, raising an eyebrow.

"Hn."

He was about to slam the door shut again, when she stopped him. "Um, wait, I… I wanted to talk you."

"What?" he snapped, annoyed.

Dawn blinked, surprised by his attitude. "Are you okay?"

"Perfect," he responded, scowling, making it obvious to Dawn it was anything _but _perfect.

"Paul," she said, frowning. "What's wrong? I know something is wrong, so don't even try to deny it."

"You know you can be really annoying sometimes," he told her, his scowl deepening.

Dawn blinked again, this time hurt by his words. Then a thought struck her.

_Was he having second thoughts about them?_

As if sensing her thoughts, his face softened and he sighed. "It's nothing. It's just Ash, being a pain in the ass as always."

"What is he bugging you about this time?"

Paul's face tightened again.

"Did you argue?"

She took Paul's silence as a yes.

"Was this… while I was sleeping?"

Paul sighed again. "Yeah. Kind of."

Dawn tilted her head to the side, her blue locks falling over her shoulders. "What was it about?"

Like last time, he said nothing.

How come he won't tell me? She wondered. "Was it about your pokémon?"

"No."

"What was it about then?" she asked him, frustrated. "C'mon, please tell me. I'm your _girlfriend_. Maybe I can help somehow."

"It's nothing. Nothing."

"Doesn't sound like nothing," she responded, placing one hand on her hip. "Fine, whatever. If you're going to be stubborn, then fine, you can just keep having this fight with Ash."

"Weren't you going to ask me something?" he asked, crossing his arms.

"Yeah. But first, is Ash and everybody else getting snacks or something?" Paul nodded. "Okay, good, that should be a while then…"

"Yeah. Why?"

"I just… wanted to talk about…" She bit her lip, suddenly remembering her dream. Paul was gone. She had missed her chance. He had went on without her. But that had just been a dream; she wouldn't let that happen in reality. "…us."

Paul raised an eyebrow. "Us? What is there to talk about?" he asked, looking his shoulders.

Dawn felt her chest tighten as she forced out the next words. "Our future."

Again, he raised an eyebrow. "What is there to discuss?"

"Wellll, we _are_ going to different colleges in different regions," she pointed out, trying to sound light-hearted and as if she wasn't totally freaking out over the subject.

Paul was silent, and at that moment Dawn fiercely wished Paul wasn't so hard to read or figure out.

Damn him and his stony silence! She thought, briefly closing her eyes before continuing on.

"I just think… we should, um, talk about it. I mean, like, we'll be separated from each other and you might meet someone new a-and… and long-distance relationships are a lot of work and you might not want that, Imean, we'll be so far away from each other…"

Dawn breathed in shakily and was surprised when she realized her eyes were burning with hot tears. Damn it, she was not supposed to cry! She tried to blink them back, but they just ended up rolling down her cheeks.

No, no, no! Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry!

Quickly, she wiped the tears away from her cheeks.

"Why would us being farther apart change anything between us?"

Dawn was taken off-guard by Paul's question.

"Well, l-like I said. We'll be farther apart and you might meet someone else and I wouldn't be there all the time and… I dunno, you… you might decide I'm not worth it."

Not that she said the words they hung there, circulating her, suffocating her. What if she was right? What if he dumped her for someone else? What if he just gave up on her and decided she wasn't worth it? She hadn't even realized her fears until she had voiced them.

"That is the stupidest thing I ever heard," he declared, his expression blank.

"Well, it could happen!" she snapped back, glaring at him. "I mean, we barely graduated high school… we haven't even gone out for full year yet, and we've already broken up once. Now that we're going to be far apart… maybe it will happen."

"I always thought you were an optimist. When did you become a pessimist?"

"I'm not a pessimist. I'm just being realistic," she sighed, looking away. She couldn't bear to look into his eyes any longer.

"So basically you're afraid I'm going to find some girl that I like better than you, or that I will decide someday that I don't like you anymore or that you're not worth the time and effort anymore, or that you're simply not worth the trouble."

She bit her lip and nodded. She tensed herself as she waited for his next response.

"Like I said, _that is the_ _stupidest thing I've ever heard._"

"Well—"

"Well nothing!" Dawn was shocked by the anger she heard in Paul's voice. "Damn it Dawn, look at me." Slowly, she turned towards him, her heart hammering in her chest.

He was still outside the car door while she was still inside, seated between the middle seat and the right seat which Paul had been sitting on. Her coffee had been left forgotten in one of the cup holders. Paul's gaze was intense as he stared at her, his eyes like a black hole that captivated her.

"There will never be any other girl, and I will never be stupid enough again to let you go." Dawn was shocked by the bold declaration and the truth she sensed behind it.

"You are the only girl I want. It doesn't matter if the girls at my college will be closer to me than you. They don't have what you have. They don't have the history we have. After everything we went through, there is not a chance I would let anything as petty as distance or some other girl get between us."

"You… you really mean that," she breathed, still stunned.

Paul's eyes softened then as he nodded.

"We have our differences, and we have our arguments. You can be extremely annoying at times, and your optimism can get on my nerves. I don't agree with a lot of the things you say and do, and the first time I met you I thought you were just another cliché bee queen. But it doesn't matter how mad you make me, or what you say or do, or if you have a lot of faults, because I will always love you."

Dawn's eyes widened as tears spilled from her eyes. "D-did you just say…?"

Paul nodded, his gaze firm. "I love you, whether you're Dawn or DeeDee, and you're worth it."

Dawn laughed then, more tears spilling from her eyes. "I have wanted to hear you say that for the longest time," she laughed, smiling through her tears. "I love you, too, Paul."

Leaning forward, his head tilted a few degrees, his lips found hers. He could feel the tears from her cheeks on his face and taste the saltiness of the tears on her lips. He pulled away for a few seconds to brush her bangs away from her face, and his eyes found hers. They were tinted red from crying but they shone happily as they met his, and he found himself getting lost in the beautiful dark blue color of her irises.

"You're worth it, too," she whispered, her breath tickling his lips. His eyes slipping close again he kissed her again, his thumb stroking her cheek.

For once, Ash was right.

It was worth it to tell her his true feelings.

* * *

**Four Years Later…**

Years later strangers would be passing by when they would notice a young blue-hair girl walking with her boyfriend to a table outside a coffee shop.

One of the strangers would stop and stare as she took in the girl's perfect hair, sparkling blue eyes, and dazzling smile, and finally the light pink cami she wore with a pair of white shorts. Next the stranger's eyes would shift to her boyfriend and his shaggy plum-colored hair, dark eyes, and indifferent expression. Lastly, the stranger would take in the sight of all her laughing and grinning friends.

"I bet she was popular in high school," the stranger's friend commented.

"Probably never had a care in the world," the stranger's other friend agreed.

They would see her with her boyfriend and all her friends, their first impressions already made. They didn't know that she had once lost all those friends after attending her first prom; they didn't know that her and her boyfriend had been in a long-distance relationship since freshman year in college until recently. They didn't know anything about the scars she had or the fears she had or the dreams she had yet accomplished.

And so the strangers would walk on, their first impressions of the blue-haired girl made, and not long after she would escape their thoughts as they focused on something more trivial.

.x.

_Like Diamonds with imperfections  
Like Pearls with deformations  
Their beauty was scarred  
Because they dared to be flawed  
But they were stronger, like Titanium  
They resisted the pressure, like Platinum  
They refused to bend until they broke  
They refused to be taken as a joke  
Their love is not like Cheap Gold  
It's not something you can just mold  
Now the Diamond and the Pearl  
They may just be a boy and girl  
But they have a love bigger than the world…_

**Yeah, I know, I haven't updated in like a century! D': And I decided to do this on the FINAL chapter too. I am simply unforgivable. T.T (Just for the record though, I blame my computer. It just HAD to break down and the speeches I had written out for this chapter just HAD to go down with it. And hence, my heart broke, and this story went on hold. Tragic, I know). Still no excuse though. :p**

**Nonetheless, I hope you enjoyed this chapter anyway and found this a worthy enough ending for this story and all the drama Dawn and Paul went through. Personally, I'm like ehhhh on this story, but maybe that's just me and my pickiness. Personally, I also think I lost my touch. xD; **

**So. The poem at the end. Lame, I know. T-T I had a different one originally, but of course THAT had to go down with my computer too. Grrrr, stupid computer, crashing… )'x**

**Reviews would be greatly appreciated. Especially considering the hell this chapter put me through (with the little piece of Heaven on the side when they got back together~ :3)! So… review? (Although I'm guessing I've lost most of my readers in the great time lapse it took to update this chapter…*sigh* okay, seriously TbiF stop talking! 8D)**

**OH! Also, THANK YOU to anyone and everyone who read this story, reviewed it chapters and/or favorited and/or alerted this story! It really means a lot to me, so THANK YOU. **

**~TbiF**

**(at the moment, only half edited, so let me know if you see any mistakes!)**

**Edit: Blech, stupid fanfiction, didn't show all the transitions lines I put! D: Sorry if there was any confusion. xD;**


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